rise up and hear the bells
by redgrass-and-silvertrees
Summary: Izuku had promised All Might that he would carry on his legacy as his successor, even after his mentor's death. It had been more difficult without a quirk but Deku had decided long ago that nothing so small would stop him from achieving his dreams. Sequel to The Long Way Around. Quirkless Pro Hero Deku.


The Long Way Around Recap: Izuku never was attacked by the sludge villain and missed meeting All Might but was inspired by his desperate attempt to save Bakugou. So he trained in martial arts and got into General Education (Taught by Chiura Hiro) where he made some friends, Shinsou, Patrick, Korudo and Taketsu. He beat Shinsou, Todoroki, Iida in the Sports Festival without a quirk but lost to Bakugou taking second place which got him transferred to 1A. Izuku did his internship with Gran Torino, to scout him for One For All, where he fought Stain. He was angry that the police dismissed his involvement due to his quirklessness and exposed the scandal to the media starting a firestorm. Was allowed to stay at Yuuei and was officially offered One For All, which he accepted hesitantly. Trained with All Might, planning to take the quirk over the summer. Only he woke up the day of semester battle exam to find his mentor had passed during the night leaving Izuku grieving, quirkless but still determined to be All Might's successor.

* * *

_"I won't be Number One or anything but you asked me to be your successor and I'm going to try. I'm going to spread my message and be the best hero I can be." Izuku turns his head back to the grave. "Watch me, All Might, I'm going to change the world." _Those were the words Izuku had promised to All Might's, Yagi-san's, grave at the end of his first semester in high school. It had been the last time he'd let his quirklessness get in the way of his dreams of being a hero. That faith had carried him through some tough times, kept him smiling despite the descrimination and double standards of professional heroics and it had led him to this point.

It was just past 6:30 am as he was coming home from an evening patrol followed by a long night of catching up on paperwork. Everyone kept telling him it wasn't healthy to practically live at his agency so he was making the trek back to his house for a shower and some sleep. He was a little punch drunk and overly exhausted so he almost didn't believe the influx of messages flooding his phone from friends and colleagues.

The Billboard Hero Charts had released at 6 am this morning. There was nothing there he hadn't already suspected. Kacchan had a good year and kept his Number One title for the third year in a row; most people in his high school class had moved up in some way, including himself rising three ranks to #76. A couple of the kids Izuku had kept an eye on via the Sports Festivals the last few years were now making waves as young pros.

Nothing exciting, especially since Izuku had a longstanding mutual feud with the Hero Boards and their ranking system and was doing his best to dismantle the overrated popularity contest. But when he saw his name under the Symbol of Peace category, he might as well have been four years old again, asking his mom if he could be a hero.

He didn't know how long he stood there on the sidewalk, not feeling the early winter chill or seeing the steadily growing dawn spreading across the city. He couldn't do much of anything besides stare at his own name through increasingly wet, blurry eyes as if waiting for the rug to be pulled out from under him.

It had been eight years since All Might died, eight long years since Izuku had been given the incredible opportunity to be the ninth holder of the One for All quirk and All Might's successor. And though his hero's early death prevented Izuku from being the former, he'd done his best to be the latter and spread the message of equality, kindness and peace that he'd learned from a quirkless man named Yagi Toshinori.

The 'Symbol of Peace' category had been added to the hero titles after the announcement of All Might's death just over six years ago. The hero was chosen by fellow pros who they thought best exemplified All Might's best qualities which had made him such a positive force in the world. For Izuku to win the title, especially since it was only last year he'd even made it in the top 100, was unexpected to say the least. It wasn't every day, after all, you achieved your life long dream.

Hell, what was he going to write for his acceptance speech?

**XxX**

**(0617) Chiura-sensei: I knew you had it in you when were just a bitter, determined student. Congratulations, I understand you're busy but you did promise you'd make time to visit my Gen Ed class this year **

**(0622) Iida: Midoriya, I saw the news on my way to my agency. I cannot express my joy and congratulations enough! It is truly well deserved and know that All Might himself would be honored to have you bear his title. Frankly, this honor is long overdue and I'm glad to see the Board has taken note of my many complaints regarding your lack of recognition over the years.**

**(0631) Shinsou: the news is talking about you, that almost never happens unless you're pissing someone off. Good job.**

**(0635) Uraraka: Deku! I'm screaming! Congrats! Text me ur schedule so we can celebrate!1!**

**(0639) Kirishima: Bro you got the SoP award! That is so incredible and yet totally expected! I voted for ya!**

**(0640) Kirishima: you shoulda had it last year. No offense to Lemillion but you totally deserved it. You know-**

**(0641) Yaoyorozu: Midoriya, I just heard the news, my utmost congratulations. I saw from your emails you were up late last night so be sure to get some sleep but call me when you can. For such a prestigious award you need a properly fitted suit, not another rental. I have some contacts to get it measured and sewn in time.**

**(0645) Taketsu: Izuku! I'm crying on the subway! I know you've been a pro for years but I know how much this means to you. **

**(0650) Mirio-Senpai: What's this I hear about you taking my title? Haha just kidding you earned it lil bro but watch out next year when I'm off paternity leave! **

**(0658) Kirishima: sorry for the delay, work stuff :/ Now that you got the SoP next stop is #1, can't wait to watch u and Katsuki duke it out!**

**(0701) Aoyama:** ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* **(****ﾉ****ヮ****)****ﾉ*****:****･ﾟ*******✧･ **Félicitations mon ami!** ･✧･ **You truly are a shooting star! **ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* **(****ﾉ****ヮ****)****ﾉ*****:****･ﾟ******* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* **You certainly had my vote!**

**(0705) Mom: Izuku I just saw the news! :crying emoji: :crying emoji: :crying emoji: I'm so proud baby, call me when you get the chance! **

**(0716) Sero: congrats dude! I gotta give ya a high five when you come into work!**

**(0718) Aizawa-sensei: I guess I can't call you Menace to Society anymore. **

**(0719) Aizawa-sensei: You know he's very proud of you and I suppose I am too.**

**XxX**

"Hello, I'm Shimamura Miya."

"And I'm Katoaka Hideo and this is _Rising Sun News _. It's 7:00am JST and our top story this morning is the official unveiling of the Japanese Billboard Hero Charts where Number One Hero, Kacchan, kept his title for the third year running."

"No surprise there, Katoaka-san. The Explosion Hero had quite the _explosive _year. Who can forget the memorable Battle of Eshima-Ohashi Bridge over the summer holidays? If you weren't a fan before you sure were after that."

"Right you are, Shimamura-san. More interesting was the winner of the Symbol of Peace title, the Quirkless hero, Deku which I believe took the whole country by surprise.

"Absolutely, it really was unexpected since most predictions favored former Number One Hero, Lemillion, to keep the title even though he's been on leave since he and his partner adopted a child. Number Ten Gale and Number Four Red Riot were also front runners in some polls."

"Social media is already making its opinions known regarding the event, one user commenting on our Herobook page that _'someone as lowly ranked and largely unpopular as Deku does not deserve to stand on the same stage as our country's greatest heroes,' _while another said that Deku was _'absolutely deserving' _of the honor."

"Seems like we have some differences in opinion. Please let us know what you think on our website or Herobook page. In other news, flooding is still being reported in the Kansai region with rescue forces working full-time to evacuate and mitigate damages. Rescue Heroes Froppy and Shouto are in the Wakayama Prefecture now-"

**XxX**

_HeroTube search: _**Deku ** sort by: recent

**Deku & Explosion Trying to Kill Each Other for 37 Minutes**

bnha-shows • 908k views • 3 years ago

Why is there so much footage? Of two heroes who run an agency together going feral in public? Explosion's swearing bleeped out with duck quacks for lol...

**Deku being a Quirkless badass **

Goofyboss • 36k views • 2 years ago

There's nothing better than a compilation of villains (and sometimes heroes) being scared as shit of this tiny quirkless guy being terrifying without a qu...

**Class of 2XXX Really Loves Deku**

NaruhataCrueler • 187k views • 9 months ago

nfamous Class of 2XXX is full of incredible heroes, many in the top 20, and yet they're always defending their quirkless classmate, even unpromot...

**is deku secretly a villain?**

darkheroacademia • 344k views • 2 months ago

He may be a "hero" but Deku's done more to destabilize the professional hero industry than most villains. In this video I'll discuss why i believe Deku is really…

**Why Deku NOT being higher ranked is quirkist and i hate it**

logo-comics • 6k views • 26 days ago

I'm not saying this cause Deku is my favorite and I'm practically quirkless but it is a literal scam that deku is not given more respect by the hero commis…

**Deku is our new Symbol of Peace, what that means**

TodoDokiDoki • 111k views • 2 days ago

For all that we make fun of Deku being quirkless, many of Class 2XXX have pointed out that Deku was a big AM fan and strived towards that ideal in...

**XxX**

"Here's to Deku!" Ochako-chan said a little too loudly in the too small bar. She'd already had a couple of drinks and her cheeks were redder than normal. Almost as red as Izu-chan looked from embarrassment, Tsuyu thought with an amused smile. "For the Boards finally getting their heads out of their asses and recognizing what we've known all along!" She took a long swig from her glass before leaning over and giving Tenya-san a quick peck on his scarred cheek. "And because Tenya probably annoyed them to death with all his letters."

"I was only doing what had to be done," Tenya-san said stiffly, embarrassed as always by Ochako-chan's open affections. Tenya-san had always been a little formal but they had been dating for almost two years now, he had to get used to it at some point. "I know several other of our classmates have made comments as well. Bakugou was, er, quite _assertive _about the disparity in his Number One acceptance speech that first year."

"Don't remind me of that disaster," Izu-chan muttered into his glass, pointedly not looking up at them, so far away from the confident hero he was in the field and closer to the awkward boy from high school. Many things had changed since then, Tsuyu thought as she smiled to herself, but not everything. "Look, guys, it's really not that big of a deal."

"Of course it is," Tsuyu said, gently laying her hand on the back of his hand and leaving it there when he didn't flinch. "Deserved respect or not, we know how important this particular title is to _you _." This time, Izu-chan did flinch and she knew she'd gotten to the heart of his discomfort.

"You and All Might had an especially close relationship and I am certain if he were here, he would be honored for you bear his title," Tenya-san said, sitting tall and holding his fists against his chest. "The Symbol of Peace award has always been something special; in order to get it you have to voted in by the majority of your peers. Knowingly or not, you have earned the respect and admiration of most of the heroes in Japan." Tenya-san smiled at Izu-chan, that slightly awkward, lopsided smile he'd had ever since he fought Stain their first year, "Myself included of course."

"You might need to cut back on the compliments before he actually explodes," Shou-chan said dryly but with a small, knowing smirk. "As true as they all are."

"Look," Izu-chan said, pushing back away from the counter a bit. "I guess it is a big deal a-and you all know how I feel about All Might, what he meant to me…" His lower lip trembled as he tried to control himself. It was curious, Izu-chan was usually so open with his emotions but always tried to restrain himself when it came to All Might. Tsuyu suspected he knew more about the hero's mysterious and sudden death but out of respect for both of them, she had never questioned it.

"But All Might's been gone for years, no one can know if he'd be proud of what I'm doing now. W-what if I've been wasting All Might's belief in me? I know I'm not as strong as you guys, I can't do the things that you can. How can my meager contribution possibly be related to the well, _everything _, All Might did?" Tsuyu did a fond little eye roll; she would hardly call reshaping the heroics system and almost single-handedly causing quirk reform _meager _.

"Deku, come on you do so much," Ochako-chan assured him, draping herself over one of his shoulders. "You help coordinate half the major battles in Japan, you do all those quirk ads, you're constantly doing speeches and raising awareness on politics and stuff. Plus you almost got assassinated that one time a few years back, that's a pretty big deal. I mean no one's tried to assassinate_ me _and I'm like way ahead of you in the Rankings."

"I would appreciate a little more regard where Midoriya's life is concerned, Ochako, that event was quite frightening," Iida frowned.

"Right, sorry, " Ochako-chan nodded earnestly. "But my point remains, sometimes I think you do a little _too _much, y'know? You gotta live a little too."

"But what if-" Izu-chan began.

"What does it mean to be a symbol?" Shou-chan asked, swirling his barely touched drink and not looking at any of them. "A symbol is someone who sets an example for people to follow. All Might told us we didn't have to be afraid and we believed in the promise he made with every smile." He glanced over at Izu-chan. "Every day you tell the world that we have reason to hope; that a better future can be reached and we shouldn't have to settle for injustice. No matter what people think of you, you've pushed us towards a better world. That's why you have the respect of so many heroes and deserve this award more than any quirked hero in Japan."

Izu-chan was stunned into silence, gaping at Shou-chan. Tenya-san, however, was not rendered mute and began clapping enthusiastically.

"Bravo, Todoroki! What a stirring speech that so perfectly captures why Midoriya is deserving of this prestigious honor! Bravo!" Tenya-san added loudly, once more drawing the whole room's attention. Izu-chan looked like he wanted to climb behind the bar and hide.

"That was very nice, Shou-chan," Tsuyu said, patting her former sidekick now sort of partner on the back. Shou-chan wasn't one for flowery sentiments but she could still remember how closed off and unfriendly he'd been before his fight with Izu-chan in that now legendary Sports Festival. He had been Izu-chan's first supporter from their class and probably took Izu-chan's message to heart more than most.

"It's just what I think," Shou-chan shrugged, looking a little ruffled himself at all the attention which served him right given how out of character it was. One of these days he was going to have to tell Izu-chan with words that he was in love with him, ribbit.

"Well, thank you, all of you," Izu-chan mumbled, still looking stressed and uncomfortable but there was a light smile on his face. He had come so far since they'd first met, back when Tsuyu hadn't been sure if a quirkless boy could be a hero. But now almost ten years had passed and she was proud to call him a friend and a colleague. In a way, this title was the culmination of all his hard work.

"Since you guys have so many opinions on my supposed worthiness," Izu-chan quipped, "surely you wouldn't mind helping me with my acceptance speech."

**XxX**

**Welcome to HeroFeed, today we have some of your favorite top heroes answering your fan questions while wearing each other's costumes!**

**URAVITY:** Hey there! I'm Uravity and I'm a little concerned by how lowcut Kacchan's uniform top is, also these grenades are heavy!

**INGENIUM: **I am Iida Tenya, known as the hero Ingenium and I also feel rather exposed in Kirishima's… costume.

**RED RIOT: **Yeah it's a little breezy but you wear it well, Prez. I'm Red Riot and I am rocking Uravity's space oddity costume.

**CREATI: **I am Creati and Ingenium's armor, while practical and protective, does not really work well with my quirk.

**URA: **(laughing) And Kacchan who's outfit are you wearing?

**EXPLOSION:** (grumbling) I'm Kacchan and I'm in Creati's stupid sports bra and jogging pants which is still light years better than her first costume.

**CRE:** We all made some poor choices the first go around, remember when Hagakure admitted she was planning on going nude for her hero costume?

**RED:** Oh man, the lecture Sensei gave on proper protection and equipment lasted half the class. I think she was in a fitted costume within a week.

**ING:** All right that is enough chatting, we are here to do a job and that job is to read and answer the questions our fans have written to us. Now, we have this jar here, we can divide the questions between us so each of us has two or three.

**EXP: **Just read one or I'll show you how well I can move in this flimsy swimsuit.

**URA:** That's TMI Bakugou but he's right, Tenya dear, we'll all answer.

**ING: **Alright, here I go, question one: _Heroes, how do you get ready in the mornings? _Well, I wake up early to ensure I have ample time for a morning jog. On Wednesdays, I have breakfast with my brother at a cafe near my agency where I have a nutritious-

**EXP:** I wake up, catch up on the news over breakfast and head out unless it's an emergency.

**RED:** Same, though sometimes I accidentally sleep through my alarm and end up rushing.

**CRE:** I usually make a morning pot of tea and watch the sunrise to mentally prepare myself for the day.

**URA: **My turn! Okay next question: _If you guys could have any other quirk what would it be? _Oh that's interesting! That's tough but I've always been very impressed with your quirk, Yaomomo. It's so versatile! You can do so much with it!

**CRE:** Why thank you, your quirk has so many applications as well. Sometimes I feel that Creation is more of a delicate tool than a blunt instrument. To be perfectly honest, some days I'd like a powerful strength quirk to just punch the villains.

**RED:** Man, you should be wearing Katsuki's costume! (laughing) Hmm going with that line of thought, it'd be nice to not worry about hurting people... (snaps fingers) I should have a healing quirk like Recovery Girl! That way all my friends would come to visit me!

**URA: **Kirishima, you are too good for this world.

**EXP:** I don't need any other quirk, mine is perfect as is.

**ING: **We have several flying heroes: Tsukuyomi, Cloud Man, Gale Force and Hawks before he was killed. Their agility in the air was something I have always admired.

**RED: **This is fun, okay, me next. Right so, _which hero would you be most scared to fight? _Oh that's easy, Midoriya or uh Deku. I love the guy but holy (beep).

**ING:** Language!

**URA: **Deku for sure. He's the sweetest guy I know but I'm pretty sure he has like nine ways to kill me if it came down to it.

**ING:** Midoriya is a very forceful and terrifying opponent but being quirkless I don't-

**URA:** Stain.

**ING:** … Right, my answer is also Midoriya.

**EXP:** You guys are wimps, Deku's the only one who'll give me a decent fight.

**CRE: **You say that but you do recall that you and Midoriya are now required to have 2 heroes present and be in a level 3 training facility before you spar because you both refuse to lose? How you survived running an agency together for two years is beyond me.

**RED:** Man, remember in our second year when they just went at it during that dorm tournament we had? Bakugou got both his wrists broken and was all black and blue. Deku was so concussed he could only stare into space for a full day; I think it took two more to get his hearing back

**CRE:** Midoriya was also pretty burned and I think Bakugou lost a few teeth. I have no desire to fight Deku. Alongside him? Always, but against him…

**EXP: **You guys are still wimps and he only punched out one tooth. Now it's my turn, _favorite comfy clothes? _T-shirt and boxers, what lame questions.

**URA:** Oh man, it's totally the matching tracksuit set my parents got me when I first made Pro. I've worn and washed it so many times it feels like I'm wearing clouds.

**RED:** Extra large t-shirt, worn sweatpants and my signature crocs.

**EXP: **What is it with you and those (beep) shoes?

**RED:** What can I say? They're just me.

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**XxX**

_The following ad has been approved by the Japanese Public Television Service _

"Hey there!" The green haired man in a hero costume smiled. "My name is Midoriya Izuku, but you may know me as the Quirkless Hero, Deku. For a long time, I thought that I couldn't be a hero, couldn't be_ anything _, because I didn't have a quirk. But because I worked hard and had support, I was able to achieve my dream of helping others."

He walked across the screen and was soon in front of a friendly looking building. "And because I couldn't have gotten anywhere without help, I decided to pay back what was given to me with the **All For One Foundation** . All For One is dedicated to stopping quirk discrimination in any form it takes, whether it's mutation quirks, perceived villainous quirks, uncontrollable or disruptive quirks or those who don't have any quirks at all. It's our mission to make sure everyone feels comfortable in their own skin. We offer a variety of services including: quirk counseling, therapy sessions, after school and mentorship programs, rehabilitation services for minor offenders and more with little or no cost as we are funded entirely by donations. If you or a loved one are interested in using our services or donating, please call us at **(041)- XXX-XXX** or visit our website at ** .jp**"

"Thank you for your support, and remember, _it's the duty of all of us to help the one _."

**XxX**

**HeroChat**

_**r/HeroesInTheNews posted by Endeavwhore 16 hours ago**_

**Is Charge Bolt Quirkist?**

Charge Bolt is on this season's_ Dancing with the Heroes _and he commented that "quirkless people should be feared" when he found out his dancing partner didn't have a quirk. Not really into heroes but I'm not sure how to feel about that :/

_**Punchmepinky posted 16 hours ago**_

Wasn't he in the same class as that quirkless hero, whats his name?

_**GwenStacy posted 15 hours ago**_

If you're going to quote Charge Bolt, at least quote the whole thing and don't take it wildly out of context. You can find the full segment on HeroTube [x] but here's where the original quote came from: _"They asked me if I would have any trouble working with someone who was quirkless. I said, 'are you kidding me? If there's one thing high school taught me it's that quirkless people should be feared'. Deku is one of the most frightening people I know and Satori-san, my dance partner, is incredibly talented. Deku showed me time after time that you don't need a quirk to absolutely destroy someone physically, mentally and emotionally. You need to ask yourself why God decided not to give them a quirk and it's because they are already powerful enough and don't need one. People say we need to protect quirkless people but really we need to protect the world from them."_

_**Fandomrider posted 6 hours ago**_

I mean, I love this idiot but isn't that a little extreme?

**Tyloniousknight posted 1 hour ago**

I'm sorry did you not SEE Deku bare his teeth and fist fight that villain with the shark mutation quirk last month? And win? If I had to choose between fighting Explosion and Deku, I'd choose Explosion every time.

**XxX**

"_Deku, I need to talk to you," Kacchan said curtly but without any extra snarls or aggressive posturing. Izuku raised an eyebrow at his rival's almost polite behavior. Kacchan hadn't gone easy on him once in their entire lives, if he thinks he has to now because of what went down at the licensing facility…_

"_About?" Izuku asked, going back to aggressively flipping through the TV channels in the dorm lounge. The dorms were eerily bare as most of the others had already gotten their things and left. Mom had agreed to take Kacchan back to their neighborhood, though she was running late. Graduates of Yuuei and now fully licensed Professional Heroes and they were still moving back in with their parents. _

"_The future, dumbshit," Kacchan sneered, putting one leg up on the arm of the couch. "Meet me outside so we can settle this like men."_

"_Even though Eraserhead isn't our teacher anymore," Izuku said through gritted teeth as he hammered on the channel button for some kind of relief. "I'm pretty sure he wouldn't want us to destroy the dorms and endanger our careers just a few hours after getting our licenses."_

"_It's not-," Kacchan began before frowning, probably remembering how much destruction they caused whenever they went at it. "We'll head to one of the training grounds, we have 24/7 access." Izuku grunted and continued channel surfing, searching for something that would take his mind off of everything bubbling up inside. "Unless you think the Board was right to try and deny you your license despite Yuuei graduating you. Maybe me and the others were wrong to hold our own licenses hostage in order to force their hand."_

_Izuku whipped his head and glared at the person who, other than his mom and maybe Ochako, knew him best. Kacchan stared back impassively, meeting Izuku's glare head on before turning and stalking towards the door. _

"_Meet me at Training Ground Alpha in five if you want to be worthy of calling yourself a hero," Kacchan said, knowing damn well those were fighting words. Izuku's pent up anger and self-doubt made the next few minutes blur together but pretty soon he was outside Ground Alpha in his scuffed up training shoes. Kacchan didn't acknowledge his approach, merely continued his stretches. Izuku was shaking as he went through his own warm-up, his anxiety crying out for some physical relief._

"_What are your plans now that you're licensed?" Kacchan asked, finally facing him. If Kacchan got Izuku all revved up and dragged him out here just to have a conversation, then he'd feel completely justified in beating the hell out of his old friend. _

"_Save people, fight the system," Izuku answered but Kacchan scoffed and shoved his hands in his pockets, waiting. "I don't have the popularity or the means to start my own agency this soon," he admitted after a moment of silence. "My only option is to join up with someone else's. Iida is taking over his brother's while both Yaoyorozu and Ojiro are starting their own; I'm sure one of them would take me." _

"_Really, you're gonna sidekick?" Kacchan jeered, "and with one of our classmates? You didn't let Stain, the League of Fuckers or any of our teachers tell you what to do but you'll follow orders from someone our age?" Oh he was just _begging _to have his teeth kicked in. Again._

"_It's good, honest work for someone starting out," Izuku said evenly through gritted teeth. "And at least I'll know they'll treat me with respect."_

"_If you really want respect," Kacchan spat, taking a threatening step forward, "then you gotta earn it. If you're aiming for the top, and I know you are, then you need to start now." He grinned, "work for me, be my sidekick and I'll get you there." _

_Izuku must be going prematurely deaf because Kacchan did __**not**__just ask him to sidekick for him. _

_They had been rivals since Izuku entered the hero course, battling for grades and internships and skills. He may have mellowed out a bit over the years, become someone that Izuku could almost call a friend but the challenging smile on his face needed to be corrected. Aggressively._

"_Yeah? Well here's my application," Izuku growled, whipping out his Bo and sprinting towards Kacchan. Kacchan readied an explosion but, anticipating it, Izuku had launched himself into the air with his staff. He let the force of the blast push him upwards, giving him a significant height advantage when he dropped back down to Earth. _

_Kacchan may have been expecting him but Izuku still had enough time to build up some force so he knew Kacchan felt it when the Bo slammed into his bad arm. Hitting the ground with a roll, he pulled out Stain's knife, carefully keeping the bladed end controlled with a reversed grip as he delivered precise but shallow cuts to Kacchan's shirt and forearm._

"_Bastard," Kacchan panted as he created several smaller but forceful blasts to push Izuku back. Izuku barely was able to avoid those but couldn't dodge Kacchan's next attack, an explosion filled punch that had him skidding back several meters. He hissed at the stinging burn down his entire left arm and threw several smaller shurikens at his opponent's feet, forcing him back while Izuku charged forward. He alternated between long distance swipes with his staff and quick jabs with his knife whenever Kacchan got close enough. _

_The blood pumping in his veins, the dusty scuff of dirt as they parried back and forth and the competitive grin on Kacchan's face he knew was matched on his own. It was almost enough for Izuku to forget the humiliating sting of almost being denied his license by cranky old men for the crime of being different._

_Izuku successfully had Kacchan on the defensive for about half a minute but he knew it wouldn't last. His hand to hand skills were far superior to Kacchan's and they both knew it. He had to change the rules before Kacchan did. _

_He kicked fiercely at Kacchan's left knee at the same time he brought his knife towards Kacchan's throat on the right side. The instinctual dodge from the knife meant he put most of his weight on the knee Izuku was targeting meaning the only place Kacchan was going was down. Unless, of course, he was quick enough to use his explosions to get airborne, which he was. And Kacchan always felt a bit safer in the air when they fought, probably thinking he had a moment to breathe without attack. But if there was one thing Izuku was good at, it was subverting expectations._

_Kacchan had turned his arms around and was now blasting towards Izuku like a missile but he was ready. Because it would be crazy to leap up to meet Kacchan halfway, Izuku did just that, screaming as he ducked his head and tackled Kacchan midair. Startled, Kacchan lost his momentum and the two of them crashed into the ground. _

_Izuku held one of his smaller knives to the throat of his oldest, almost friend at the same time he felt Kacchan's fire-warmed hands dig into the fabric of his shirt. Both of them were heaving, sweaty and quickly able to neutralize the other if need be. Another draw. Izuku sat up and tucked his knife back into his sleeve while Kacchan's arms flopped back to the ground. He winced as he looked around at the damage to the street. Hopefully they could leave campus before Sensei found this. _

_They stayed like that for an extra few minutes, catching their breath, enjoying the cathartic feel of a good fight. Izuku could admit he felt a little better and Kacchan looked more relaxed as well. To think, three years ago, Kacchan would be screaming to continue the fight until one of them was down for good. But they'd both changed over the course of their high school years. They'd always be competitive but there wasn't anything they had to prove. Not to each other anyway. _

"_You're fucking merciless, Deku," Kacchan laughed breathily as he grabbed at his slashed and minimally bloody shirt. "I'm showing this shit to your mom when she picks us up."_

"_I could say the same to you, Kacchan," He grinned back, gingerly stretching the light burns across his whole body. They fell back into a warm, comfortable silence that Izuku basked in. It was refreshing, to be able to bare his entire being and feel completely understood. _

"_Partners," Kacchan grunted as he sat back up a moment later._

"_What?" Izuku blinked. _

"_Be my partner, at my agency," he said again, more sure this time. "You won't be my sidekick and you're too good to be wasted as anyone else's underling, so we'll be partners. It'll be just us, no other extras to distract us. Between my quirk, your fighting skills and our combined strategic power, we'll be in the top twenty by this time next year."_

"_Partners," Izuku whispered to himself, tasting the word on his tongue and it fit like it belonged there. Equals, two halves of one whole, a hero who wins and a hero who saves. He hunched over, bringing his hand to wipe at his mouth. This was huge; if they did this right, they could recreate the power and peace of All Might. "I'm surprised you asked me of all people."_

"_As if anyone else could keep up with me," Kacchan snorted but his tone was quiet, almost reverential if he too felt how momentous these words were. "Besides, I've got to keep an eye on you to make sure you don't surpass me." Izuku laughed at that and reached out to grasp Kacchan's shoulder, just for a second, before letting go. Partners._

"_I think you're underestimating me, Kacchan," Izuku bragged, standing up and wiping some of the dirt off of his knees. "By this time next year, we'll be in the top _ten _." _

"_Those villains and lazy heroes aren't gonna know what hit them," Kacchan smirked as he climbed to his feet. "We're going to fucking decimate them."_

"_Yeah," Izuku said, looking around and not seeing the battered ground of his now former school, but seeing the future. It looked bright. "We are."_

**XxX**

**Yahero! Answers**

_Pop*Step*Princess _asked in Heroes Professional Heroes • 19 days ago

**Help? I'm so confused? Whats the #1 hero's Name? **

I think itS Kacchan but I hear most people call him Explosion? Sorry if it's a dumb question but can someone xplain plz? Ty!

**9 Answers**

_Loxie_ 17 days ago

Hey Pop*Step*Princess,

It's a perfectly reasonable question. So the simple answer is the Number One Hero is Bakugou Katsuki. His hero name, listed on his license and records, is Kacchan but his descriptor is the Explosion Hero. Now I don't need to tell you that Kacchan is kind of a cutesy nickname for a hero who, according to multiple sources, originally tried to call himself Lord Explosion Murder [1] . A large number of his fans (wimps) have decided that they don't like Kacchan as a name and have been using his descriptor, Explosion, as a stand in name. So while both names are correct, one more so than the other, usually only little kids, some die hard fans and, of course, Deku reliably call him Kacchan.

As for the origin of the name, there's a couple of different stories. The most common one passed around is that it's the complement to Deku's name. It's fairly common knowledge that Bakugou (Kacchan) and Midoriya (Deku) have been friends since they were little. Deku and Kacchan are the names they gave each other as children. Midoriya claimed his nickname as his hero title not long after his transfer to the Hero course while Bakugou chose Kacchan late in his third year, around the time they were officially licensed (Prior to that he went simply by his surname, Bakugou). Not long after they opened Two Heroes together, Deku said it was a sign of their bond. "As people or pros, Kacchan and I are a packaged deal. We did it to show our bond, and through that, our strength." [2] 

However, Kacchan himself has said that he picked the name to, and I'll justify the swears since it's a direct quote, "make all the spineless fucks in the media squirm by calling me a name given to me by an idiot." Later on in that same interview he addressed the Kacchan vs Explosion debate which can be summarized with, "If you can't call me by the name I chose, you're a fucking coward." [3] Basically, if you don't love the Deku & Kacchan dynamic, you're wrong. So, heartwarming friendship tale or an excuse to make others call you a baby name? Who knows but either way we're pretty blessed that our Number One has such a cute title. So spread the word, his name is Kacchan and, according to the man himself, calling him Explosion is being a coward!

**XxX**

"_Iida really, I'm fine. Tenya, I'm serious, I don't need this thing," Midoriya insisted, dropping the shock blanket from around his shoulders which Tenya immediately replaced. It was a shock blanket, intended to comfort people and seeing Midoriya wear it was preventing Tenya from going into shock. "Come on, I'm not even hurt that bad. It was just a few scrapes."_

"_You could have died!" Tenya exclaimed, angry and perplexed on why Midoriya was being so infuriatingly calm about the entire affair. He gripped the edges of his friend's shock blanket, just enough that he could feel the warmth of Midoriya's living arm beneath his knuckles. "You could have died," he repeated, softer this time, hating the way the words felt on his tongue._

"_But I didn't," Midoriya pointed out, "and besides, we're heroes. Almost dying is sort of part of the job description, we've all had close calls before." _

"_No, not like this," Tenya said, gesturing to the empty chaos around them at, what a few hours before, had been a very festive and empowering quirk rally. Midoriya had been able to gather quite a few pros to attend, including many in their graduating class. It had been so enjoyable to see everyone together again, spreading the word on a very important issue. _

_Everything had been going smoothly, right up until Midoriya had gotten up to the podium to address the crowd and was almost impaled by several sharp spikes nearly as long as Tenya's forearm. It was only due to Midoriya's quick reflexes and Bakugou's explosion diverting the course of the projectiles that his friend was able to get out of the way in time. Tenya glanced back at the burnt and broken stage where some of the spines were still embedded in the wall. It was all too easy to imagine Midoriya limply pinned with them, like some sort of specimen under glass. He'd initially been upset Ochako-san couldn't attend but now he's thankful; he'd be even more of a wreck if his girlfriend had also been in the line of fire. _

_Tenya clenched and unclenched his fists, unable to release all the built up tension in his body. Because this wasn't a villain attacking in the middle of battle or even a coordinated strike against a hero agency. No, this was at a public charity full of civilians and lacked the flair of a typical villain attack. It was planned, precise, professional and, as far as they can tell, impossible to trace. No one had said it aloud but it was an assassination attempt the likes few heroes ever experienced. _

"_Well," Midoriya grinned, "at least I know I'm making an impact if they're trying to kill me. Pretty impressive considering One For All has only been open for two years."_

"_This is not a laughing matter, you need to take more precautions for your own safety." Midoriya's face darkened but Tenya pressed on, "not because I believe you are incapable but because someone almost killed you and they may try again." _

"_What am I supposed to do?" Midoriya demanded. "Hide in my agency all day, communicate only through phone calls and email? If I let this scare me then they'll have won. I'm going to keep appearing in public and I'm going to keep doing field work and no one is going to stop me." The setting sun obscured most of Midoriya's features but Tenya could see the unwavering resolve glinting in his eyes. Tenya's hand scrubbed at his face in frustration, his fingers running over the rough, unfeeling scar on his cheek. How on earth did his younger self ever look at Midoriya and see weakness when it was so obvious that he was a storm that refused to be contained, deceptively hidden in a small, quirkless body?_

"_Please," Tenya begged, gripping both of Midoriya's shoulders and forcing his friend to look up at him. "All we ask is that you take some precautions, increase the security at your home and agency, don't put out your schedules to the public too far in advance. Please take our worry as a sign of love and not of inadequacy. Don't be foolish when your life is at stake." Midoriya's mouth twitched and he dropped his gaze._

"_Yeah, okay, I'll make some adjustments," Tenya could have cried with relief. "But only as long as you guys do the same. I mean this could happen to any one of us, we all need to be prepared."_

"_Right, of course, I will pass the word onto the others immediately," Tenya answered. It was a good idea but he couldn't help but think that so many other heroes had been on that stage before Midoriya. Tenya was Number Nineteen and gave the opening address. Kirishima, who had just been promoted to Number Five had gotten the crowd fired up and current Number One, Bakugou, had introduced Midoriya just minutes before the attack. All high-ranking pros with powerful quirks and yet the assassin had chosen to wait for the hero without any sort of power. _

_But again, words had a kind of power and many people had taken issue with Midoriya's vocal opinions on the state of Heroics and Quirk society in general. It made him worry about who would be powerful enough to afford such a criminal and why they would be so upset at the idea of unity and reform. It made him wonder if perhaps Midoriya was the most dangerous one of them all._

"_Mon Cher," Aoyama announced walking up to them. "Everyone but us has been evacuated, the perimeter has been searched and secured. Unfortunately, the villain has escaped but we are all cleared to leave." He paused, "you are alright? You would tell us if you weren't, oui?" _

"_Honestly, you guys," Midoriya huffed but there was no heat behind it. He stood up and let the blanket fall from his shoulders. "I am fine, I've been hurt way worse during normal patrols." Tenya and Aoyama exchanged a very familiar glance over Midoriya's shoulder._

"_That is not very reassuring, mon amie," Aoyama sighed dramatically before he flipped his cape over his arm and gestured for them to follow. "Come, we were told to leave as a group and it's a good thing you are alright because I'm afraid you are to be our guest for the rest of the evening." _

"_Excuse me?" Midoriya deadpanned before shaking his head. "Oh no, I've got to replan this rally and deal with the clean-up. I probably should investigate this new villain while I'm at it and, oh god, I need to call my mom, she's probably freaking out-"_

"_Move it assholes, we aren't gonna wait all day!" Bakugou's shrill voice shouted across the lawn. _

"_You see? We are expected. You can worry about all that other nonsense later and we shall call Mama Midoriya from the car," Aoyama declared, grabbing ahold of Midoriya's arm. Tenya took the cue and grabbed his other arm, effectively trapping the man. "Come, it is not often we are all together like this. "_

"_Wait!" Midoriya laughed as they dragged him towards the group and Tenya suspected he was not all that upset about the impromptu kidnapping. Because there wasn't much they could do about Midoriya's obsessive work schedule or the fact that he had apparently acquired some dangerous enemies. However, they could keep him safe and remind him that he would always have a place among them as one of their brightest stars. _

**XxX**

**Heroblr**

captainintherain:

Okay so you all probably saw on the news that Deku is our new Symbol of Peace. I know it probably surprised a few of you (I know I was gaping like a fish when I first read it this morning!) But I don't think a lot of you guys know just how big of a deal this is. I'm going to preface for those who will come after me and say, yes, I'm biased as a rather open fan of Deku. I wasn't really interested in him during his HS years or when he was at Two Heroes but I started paying attention when he opened his own agency. I've talked a bit about the struggles with my sorta villainous quirk and I really admire how he's trying to fix the underlying problem in the system instead of just ignoring it like a lot of other heroes.

But! The fact that he is openly critical of the Hero Institute means he's not very popular with the Boards. See my posts here and here on how the blatant discrimination from the Boards is why it took so long for Deku to break the Top 100. Also, because I love it, here's Kacchan's insane #1 acceptance speech two years ago where he talked about it. The fact that he was voted in, considering how much the Boards are against him, is pretty astounding. In order to understand just why this is such a huge thing, let me go through some of the details of the Hero Ranking Process for those who aren't aware.

So we don't know all of the intricacies of how it works but all matters of Hero Licensing, Ranking and Review are done by the Hero Board Commission commonly called the Boards. We've all bitched out the Boards at some time or another for not ranking our fav higher on the charts (guilty, my girl Uravity deserves better!) but I still can't imagine how hard it must be to review and evaluate Every. Single. Hero in Japan. The members of the Board are unknown and sworn to secrecy. Who knows the requirements but it is known that you have to be recommended by a retiring member but once you're voted in, no one can throw you out. Basically it's a set-up for a pretty secular, self-serving system.

According to their website, the Boards rank heroes based on the Five Pillars of Heroism: _Rescue, Intelligence Gathering, Combat Ability, Total Cases Resolved _and of course _Public Approval _. Some people (like Deku) think the Boards base too much of their system on popularity and fancy quirks which excludes heroes who work in teams, have niche quirks or don't specialize in Villain Apprehension which is totally true btw. How else can you explain why Shouto (#20) is so much more highly ranked than his boss, Froppy (#41) except thirst but I digress. So anyway, this group of people is entirely responsible for the Hero _Rankings _but the Hero _Titles _are something else entirely. The Titles are voted by heroes for heroes and while the Boards do have a say in the vote, it's one of the few times the heroes can push back against them.

It's only within the last 15 years or so that Heroes Titles came into practice as a way to get heroes off their back about not having a say in the Ranking process. It's since become a way for heroes to comment on each other professionally with titles such as "Rising Star" for promising New Grads, "Overworker" for the highest Cases Resolved etc. The Boards only interfere with this process if there's too many candidates or not enough votes by which they make the final decision. In order for a hero to win a Title without Board interference, they need to have at least 65% of the hero vote. That's A LOT of votes to get from heroes of all shapes and sizes. Until now, we have never had a "clean" (IE non-Board selected) vote for the Symbol of Peace category.

So, back to Deku. We all know he partnered (NOT SIDEKICKED) with Kacchan for 2 years before opening his own agency, One For All. OFA has such an amazing structure I'd really like to see become more prevalent (as I laid out here ). Deku is the "leader" of OFA, the only permanent member but he's constantly hiring heroes of all different types for short term contracts meaning at any point in time he almost always has a different team. Hero News a few months ago counted all the heroes that have worked for Deku in the three years since OFA opened and it's somewhere in the 200s and pretty much everyone in the Top 50! (source here btw). Heroes LOVE working with Deku, not only is he a tactical genius guaranteed to help boost anyone's _Cases Resolved _score but he's super invested in improving the standard of heroes, helping them better their quirks and fighting abilities. Remember when Sweet Leaf came in Third at this year's Sports Festival and did a S/O to Deku during the medal ceremony for an internship? And they got it the mad lad? (source here and here )

Now, comes the time for Hero Rankings and Titles. The SoP title is the most coveted of all the Titles because it's like being compared to All Might himself _and Deku won it _. We know the title was undisputed because I've said enough times that Deku isn't on good terms with the Boards so if the final vote came down to them, no way would they have voted him in. The only way this could have possibly happened is if 65% of Japanese heroes decided that Deku, the quirkless idiot who dared to stand alongside quirked powerhouses, was worthy of bearing the title that originated with All Might. HUGE.

Do you know why this happened? Because Deku has spent his whole career fostering positive relationships with other heroes. We've seen various team-ups that never would have happened, never could have _worked _, if they didn't have Deku as a mutual acquaintance. The Boards want heroes to fight over an ultimately pointless ranking system to distract them from making any real change to the outdated system. However, Deku put both middle fingers up and told us if we band together, we can save the whole world. That is why he was voted the Symbol of Peace and that's why he deserves it.

This post is getting ridiculously long so TLDR:

Deku might not be popular with the Boards or the media or a lot of mainstream fans but he's united the heroes in a way no one else has really done before, not even All Might who was a bit polarizing with his overwhelming power. Because Deku brought the heroes together, they were able to override the biased opinion of the Boards and get Deku voted as the SoP. Deku might not have a quirk but his effect on modern day heroics cannot be denied.

6,843 notes

Tags: _#Deku #SymbolofPeace2XXX #DekuSoP #i have a lot of feelings about Deku okay #I was barely into middle school when AM died so I guess Im not as connected to him as some others #but Deku #hes doing what AM /wished/ he could have done #united Japans heroes #his classmates say that deku was all Mights fav student #which I so believe #I bet he's looking down and so damn proud of that chaotic quirkless hero #mark my words 10 years from now #we're gonna be talkin about how deku revolutionized the system #and brought real peace to Japan based on kindness and connection_

Gentrycat:

What an eye-opening post, I guess we kind of take what the Boards say as fact but wow. I wasn't really a Deku fan before but I think I might be now.

Marcx:

Reblog if you'd like to see Deku break the corrupt system in two :wok emoji:

**XxX**

"All For One Foundation, how may I help you?" Inko asked into the phone which was balanced on her shoulders while she finished writing out the figures from the last caller's donation. "Yes of course, we offer quirk counseling to people of all ages and have absolutely no restrictions on quirks. If you'd like, I can transfer your call to the counseling department to sort out the details. You're most welcome, let me put you on hold," she said, reaching over the large stack of papers to get to the phone and dialing the correct numbers before hanging up. Inko huffed, slumping a bit in her chair. Being a volunteer sure was a lot of work but she wouldn't change it for anything.

Midoriya Inko could not be more proud of her son who had achieved his dreams despite having everything against him. She didn't like that he was in danger all the time out there fighting villains and making brazen political statements but this part of it, the All For One Foundation, was something truly special. She would have given anything to have had a support system like All For One when Izuku was a boy, a welcoming place where children and adults could seek help, guidance and support. Even if Izuku didn't run the foundation, in between all the other things he does, Inko still would have been here helping, paying back the mistakes she made in her son's childhood.

"Inko-san? Do you have those donation lists done yet?" Yukiko-san asked, smoothing down the snakes rustling around on her head. She'd been the volunteer manager almost from the start and was one of the only people who knew that Inko was the boss' mother.

"Yes, I just finished, we've gotten so many this week that it's hard to keep up," Inko tittered as she handed over the forms.

"I know, the phones have been going off the hook all day. I'm pretty sure it's because of Deku becoming the new Symbol of Peace," the young woman smiled shyly. "Congratulations on that by the way, you must be very proud."

"Oh more than you can imagine," Inko beamed. "But all it does is tell the world what I already knew, that my boy is a hero through and through." They were interrupted by the phone ringing again. "Well, duty calls," she cheered as she answered the phone as Yukiko-san left. "All For One Foundation, how may I help you? No, we don't yet have the details for Deku's school appearances but they should be released soon then you can submit your application. Yes, you're welcome, goodbye." It was busy work, sometimes maddening but she loved it. The house had been so quiet since Izuku had moved out that she'd practically jumped on the opportunity to help get his organization off the ground. It was a good thing too since work seemed to be the only time she saw him these days.

She glanced at the framed photo of the two of them from a few years back on her desk which sat right next to a much older, more faded picture. Izuku really did look a lot like Hisashi these days. It had been so long, she'd almost forgotten what he looked like until she saw Izuku in certain lights and then it all came back. As furious as she was at her husband for up and leaving them for a decade and then dying out of the blue, she missed him just as much. Because Inko had loved him, loved the memory of him if nothing else and loved the son he gave her before disappearing forever.

Inko bounced her finger on the desk anxiously, almost wishing for someone to call. How many times had she wondered what her life, what her son's life, would have been like with a husband and father around? _He _probably would have supported Izuku's dreams from the start and _he _wouldn't have been a nervous wreck giving Izuku what he needed to succeed. Hisashi would have recognized long before Inko had that Izuku didn't need to be protected because of his quirklessness but encouraged. Izuku had flourished despite her mistakes but she knows having Hisashi around would have been better for both of them.

Her two boys were so alike and yet they never got to know each other. The day she'd received the call that Hisashi had been killed in a random villain attack in America, midway through Izuku's last year of high school, she had been inconsolable. Izuku, as always, had been her rock but looking back, he'd mostly seemed concerned for her and maybe a little for himself because he felt no grief for a father he couldn't remember.

But Izuku did have a father, for a bit anyway. Even all these years later, he still made the trek every other Sunday to All Might's private grave and cleaned up the site, leaving flowers and talking about his life. It seemed too cruel, in Inko's mind, to deny a boy one father then take away his beloved teacher after just a short time together. He had gotten better with time, but some days she could look at her son and see the grief as raw as it had been that first morning. They all had their burdens to carry; Izuku had his never ending quest to live up to All Might's legacy and she supposed All For One was hers. The phone rang suddenly, interrupting her thoughts. Inko shook her head out of the past and back into the present which was happy and full of so much joy she could burst. A mother couldn't ask for more.

"All For One Foundation, how may I help you? No, I'm afraid we don't really do home visits but you're welcome to visit our main building or one of our several satellite offices if you still want to use our services."

**XxX**

**Pro Heroes Monthly** **ed. 28 vol. 17, Dec 2XXX**

_Public Approval Poll: A monthly look at the stats and popularity of your favorite heroes!_

Regarding our last issue where we discussed the popularity and influence of Kacchan better known as Explosion (#1) we decided to explore the opinions on his former partner, the Quirkless Hero, Deku (#79). Over the last several weeks, subscribers were polled in person, online and via mail on their opinion of the Hero Deku. We received almost 11,000 replies in total which show a surprising trend.

Longtime readers may recall that we last rated Deku about four years in our June 2XXX issue but that poll involved many others from Yuuei's infamous Class of 2XXX. In it, Deku was rather poorly ranked in power and popularity among all age groups when compared against his former classmates. That poll was done while Deku was still partnered up with Explosion, prior to forming his own agency and getting more involved in local communities and politics. Last survey, about 7% of the responses selected that they did not know who Deku was or didn't know enough to have an opinion despite being partnered with then Number Three. In the latest poll, only 3% of participants reported not knowing Deku. This implies that since opening his own agency, he has become much more of a public presence than when he was at Two Heroes.

As you can see in the results, we saw a noticeably polarized trend compared to the last poll. Overall there was a significant (p .05) uptick in positivity for Deku. In every age group but one, approval for him rose by at least 2.6% with the largest increase in pollers aged 10-17. The largest positive rating overall was in the 18-35 group with a startling 68% approval for the Quirkless hero. Not even heroes similarly ranked like Rage Machine (#71) or Lizardy (#80) have such high numbers in their key demographics. The results are easier to understand when one considers that the young adult population likely grew up watching Deku succeed in his inaugural Sports Festival and beyond. Deku is also becoming a major influencer in the idea of progressive social reformation, an idea which has really taken root in the years following All Might's death, especially among the young.

By comparison, the older generations are by and large shown to be against Deku. This was found to be true in the last poll but to a more noticeable degree. Disapproval of Deku increased 4.6% while approval for Deku only increased by .91% in adults over the age of 36 within the last four years. The dichotomy in opinions between the younger and older adults could be explained by the growing generational divide that we're starting to see in Japan. In addition, all the aspects that make Deku popular to the young: more personal and less "professional" approach to fans, openly critical of the government, modern and non-traditionalist, are the same qualities which the older generations may find off putting about the quirkless hero.

These results match what has been noted over the last several years with Deku's rise in public awareness. He is one of the more divisive heroes out there being subject to praise or condemnation depending on the media outlet. However you feel about him, it cannot be denied that Deku has greatly influenced the landscape of modern day Heroics. We will be continuing to track Deku's popularity over the next several years, paying close attention to age groups but also tracking the quirks and political leanings of participants. Thank you to everyone who participated and be sure to write in your opinions on Deku and the Poll results at our website.

Next issue we will be looking at the Hardening Hero, Red Riot and his public approval before and after he replaced Deku as the co-partner at Two Heroes. Be sure to vote before Jan 9th in order for your vote to be counted. As always, you can visit us on our website or cast your vote or via mail at:

Pro Heroes Monthly

6-1, Yaesu 1-Chou-ku

Tokyo, 190-0100

**XxX**

"_Riot, stay there and protect Angel, make sure they aren't disturbed. Turbo, I'm going to need you to take out the gunmen, use Phantom to help you. Mighty Man, you and me need to get rid of all these extras," Midoriya ordered, in-between strikes of his staff. As he'd promised, he was right on the front lines, taking down bad guys left and right. How he had the brain space to coordinate the others around him when he was so busy being a badass was beyond Eijirou. Maybe he'd been worrying for nothing._

_This whole situation had initially made him nervous. He was all for Midoriya going solo but this was a pretty ambitious raid he had planned for his first solo outing. Plus this operation was being run by contracted heroes since Midoriya still didn't really have a full-time staff at One For All. He'd feel better if Katsuki was here but since opening One For All, Midoriya was insisting that he didn't need his old partner to be successful. Say what you will about Deku but you couldn't deny he had balls._

"_Shit," Eijirou hissed as he saw some crazed thug with six arms launch themselves at Midoriya who had his back turned to him. Eijirou started to move to defend his friend when Midoriya whipped around and forcibly brought his staff up so it clocked the six armed guy under the chin. While he was dazed, Midoriya spun the weapon around and dug it into the thug's stomach causing him to hunch over in pain. From there, Midoriya brought his boot down on the back of the guy's neck for an instant KO. Eijirou had barely moved and the fight was already over. _

"_Riot, I said hold position," Midoriya growled, yes _growled. _Katsuki sure did rub off on him after all those years together. Eijirou jumped back into his original position of providing cover for Angel so he could use his Altruism quirk to make the guards open the locks on the cages. Meanwhile, the veteran hero, Turbo, who'd been so rude and unmanly to Midoriya during all the mission meetings, sped forward. The recent grad, Phantom, was holding onto his shoulders, turning them both invisible. Mighty Man and Midoriya battled back to back, Midoriya taking down one thug to Mighty Man's four but together the number of attackers was decreasing. "Angel, how are we doing?"_

"_I've gotten all the cages open," Angel shouted, knocking out the guard before the effects of his quirk could wear off. "We can start evacuating the victims once it's safe." _

"_Keep everyone safe and stay back. Riot, let's bring down that blockade," Midoriya grinned, hair askew and someone's blood on his cheek. Eijirou had never felt so pumped in his entire life. "Cover me," he announced, suddenly running forward as if nothing, not bullets or quirks or even God could touch him. _

"_Hey, wait up!" Eijirou yelped, sprinting to catch up and keep his idiot friend from getting killed. But the distraction served its purpose, all of the remaining criminals turning onto them, leaving Turbo and Phantom the opportunity to break through the blockade and disable the gunmen. The silence that followed the take down was heavy and felt like victory. _

"_Hell yeah!" Eijirou shouted, "that was amazing guys, we did it! I can't believe your plan actually worked, Deku! I mean it's _you _so I knew it would but still!" _

"_Watch the language, there's kids here," Angel said with a little smirk. "Also we still need to get everyone out of here." _

"_He's right, we're not done yet, Kirishima," Midoriya said. "We need to get the hostages out and make sure we get the boss, Nekozuki Takashi, to make sure this quirk trafficking ring doesn't start back up again. Turbo, I'm going to need you to-"_

"_I don't," Turbo said, stepping forward, "take orders from insignificant heroes who don't know their place. Your job was to plan the mission but out here in the field, it's up to the real heroes to execute it. You hired us to do what you couldn't so we'll handle it from here." The tension in the room skyrocketed. As expected, Midoriya stepped into Turbo's space, standing at his full height and looking the older hero in the eyes. _

"_I respect your many years of service, Turbo," Midoriya said evenly but Eijirou could see from this angle that Midoriya was breaking out the crazy eyes and razor sharp smile that was like gazing into hell itself. "But this is _my _operation under _my _agency which you were contracted for which means we will be doing things _my _way." Turbo took another threatening step forward and Eijirou decided it was time to intervene._

"_Hey guys," he said with his hands held up. "Let's all work together. We're all Pros who have something to bring to the table. Come on, mid-mission is not the time to fall apart." _

"_Right," Midoriya huffed, taking a step backwards even as he kept the thunderous expression on his face. "We're a team so we need to act like one. I can't force anyone to do anything but this is still my operation. Is that acceptable?"_

"_I suppose," Turbo sneered, also stepping back. He gestured to Eijirou, Angel and Mighty Man. "You three are with me, the non-combative hero will bring up the rear." Mighty Man and Angel glanced hesitantly at Midoriya before following after Turbo. Eijirou huffed out a breath; what an asshole, as Katsuki would say. It's funny, Eijirou had never had another Pro talk to him like that, not even when he was a student. Only a few hours before, Turbo had been praising his recent appointment to the Two Heroes agency. Sometimes he was smacked in the face with just how different his and Midoriya's lives were. _

"_You okay, bud?" Eijirou asked quietly, putting a supportive hand on his friend's shoulder._

"_Yeah," Midoriya said with an angry sigh, shaking off Eijirou's hand. "I knew there'd be some troubles starting out on my own. I knew something like this was going to happen." Well, that was awful but still, Midoriya was too tense, his hands clenching and unclenching in unspoken aggravation. "You were right, we can't start arguing when we're so close to the finish line and the end of this contract. I can deal with anything for a few more hours." It was a nice sentiment but Eijirou liked to think he knew Midoriya better than that by now. The glint in his eyes promised that after the mission was complete, Midoriya had plans for the Turbo hero. Deku was both one of the kindest yet most vindictive people he had ever known. _

"_Alright Deku, I'm following you, lead the way," he grinned and was rewarded with a more genuine smile. Maybe not the best foot to start an agency off on but that meant the only place to go from here was up. Midoriya had a habit of turning his misfortune around; Eijirou had heard him muttering about continuing this weird contract system to get around not having consistent staff. Having just come off of working for Fatgum with his stable network, the idea was mind blowing but if anyone could do it, it was Deku. _

_Eijirou followed after his friend with a shake of his head. The media kept saying that Deku's career was over now that he'd left Two Heroes but they didn't understand. He was just getting started and it was going to be spectacular as hell. Eijirou couldn't wait to watch._

**XxX**

**Hello Young Hero Student,**

**Great job in the Sports Festival! I was really impressed with your performance and wanted to offer you a chance to spend your internship with my agency. You may ask why you should spend your valuable and limited time with a hero known for not having a quirk. One For All Heroics was named after **_**my**_** hero, All Might, who taught me that being a hero meant putting people's happiness and safety above all else. But we don't have to do it alone. OFA has worked with hundreds of heroes over the past three years, all of whom have brought great power and diversity to our agency. We accept quirks of all types and experiences and are one of the largest employers of student heroes in the business. In addition to our Villain Apprehension department, OFA also has departments related to quirk law, community outreach, quirk research and villain rehabilitation so students get a comprehensive experience. Those interested can also spend time at the All For One Foundation learning about civilian advocacy. I hope you will give our agency a consideration for your internship but either way, I look forward to working with you when you graduate.**

**Plus Ultra!  
Midoriya Izuku, **_**Deku**_

**XxX**

"_Deku?" Katsuki called but he received no answer. The nerd should be back by now; he wanted to get this kidnapping case paperwork sorted out sometime before ass o' clock. Deku said he had an important phone call to take but it had been almost half an hour, what the fuck was he doing? He stood up and walked out of their office into the darkly lit hallway but his partner was nowhere to be seen. _

"_Hey Deku, you better not be trying to skip out on me or I'll kick your ass and then we'll have to renovate this fucking place again," he threatened but Deku still did not appear. Katsuki huffed, more annoyed than worried. It was approaching 11 pm in a secured building so it's not like anyone was getting in. Besides, he could throw Deku at God and he'd come back with the bastard's blood on his teeth. Despite knowing all this, his gut told him that something about the situation wasn't right._

_He was halfway down the hall when he heard some sort of muffled sniffling sound. Sure enough, he found Deku on the floor, leaning up against the wall at the end of the hallway, quietly crying into his arms._

"_What the fuck," Katsuki scoffed softly before settling himself on the ground. He'd known Deku his entire life; Katsuki knew the difference between his normal leaky eyes and bad shit. And this was definitely the latter. "Who was on the phone?"_

"_Happy Acres Hero Retirement Home," Deku hiccuped softly. He looked tired in a way he hadn't twenty minutes ago and there was a defeated slump to his shoulders that made Katsuki want to punch some life back into him. "Gran Torino died."_

"_He was your work study mentor in school, yeah, did a lot of your training," Katsuki said gently, not sure what to make of this uncharacteristically vulnerable Deku. "Didn't you say he was pretty much senile or something? It's probably for the best. Least he's not suffering anymore."_

"_But now no one else knows," Deku wailed all of a sudden, sounding so loud in the dark, quiet building. "I mean Aizawa-sensei and Tsukauchi-san know pieces of it but Gran Torino had been there from the start and with him gone it feels like, it's like losing All Might all over again!" _

"_The fuck's All Might got to do with this?" Katsuki balked, Deku was making less sense than normal._

"_It's-," Deku stumbled before putting a hand over his mouth and Katsuki knew it was about _the Thing _. That big thing that happened at the end of their first year, that he never talked about and had All Might, Sir Nightfuck, Eraser and apparently this Gran Torino guy all mixed up in it. "I can't."_

"_Why can't you, you just said that no one else knows and I can keep a secret," Katsuki explained. Deku looked like he'd just slapped him. "Look, this shit has clearly been eating at you since high school. I've respected your privacy for this long but it's getting to the point where it's interfering with our work." Deku looked away, as if trying to hide, as if Katsuki didn't know the loser better than he knew himself. _

"_But I promised," Deku whispered._

"_A promise to a dead man isn't worth much if it's killing you," Katsuki said flatly. "Izuku, whatever it is, I'll take it to my grave. It cannot possibly be any worse than any of the other shit that happened in school." Deku bit his lip and sighed, running a hand through his messy hair._

"_All Might, he died in Japan, he was, he'd been really sick for a while and it just kind of caught up to him. It was actually the day of the final exams, our first year. You remember school was cancelled suddenly for a few days, that was why," Deku said in a hesitant, stilted tone. Katsuki blinked, okay that was news but what did that have to do with now. "Before, before he died, All Might told me a secret. His quirk was special, it was able to be passed on as long as the previous user gave consent," Deku looked up and the greens in his eyes seemed almost to glow. "He was going to give me his quirk, that's why he was doing the one on one training with me. He called me a few hours before he died. I think he knew what was coming and wanted to pass on the quirk before our test the next morning but well…"_

_What. The. Fuck. _

_He's not sure which part was more incredible: the crazy notion that a quirk could be given to someone like a fucking candy bar or that useless, worthless, quirkless Deku could have had the world's most powerful quirk if All Might had lived for one more day. No wonder the nerd was such a mess. Katsuki pushed his long hair out of his face to rub at his face. _

"_Fuck," he said because, really, what else was there to say? Deku laughed at that, a thin, weak little laugh but it was something._

"_Gran Torino was All Might's teacher. His original master died after passing on the quirk to him so Torino was the one to finish up his training," Deku muttered, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. "He was like Yagi-san's dad, he never got over the death." _Like you ever did _, Katsuki thought with a frown but that was a conversation for another time. Or never if it was up to him. _

"_Fuck," he said again just because he needed to, there was so much to process. "So All Might's power was really two quirks? The one that could be passed on and his original quirk?"_

"_No, he just had One For All, a stockpiling quirk that acquired strength over the years. Before that he'd been quirkless, like me," Katsuki stared at Deku, trying to imagine a younger All Might in him. The scary part was how easy it was to see. If Deku had even a fraction of All Might's power, Katsuki's not sure he would've been able to keep up. _

"_If you came out with a quirk after that media shitstorm you caused with Stain, you would have been ripped to shreds," he grunted and Deku did a little smile but didn't say anything. "Are you mad? That you didn't get it?"_

"_I," Deku began softly. "I don't know. Training for it, I was pretty nervous, not sure if I even wanted it. But All Might was dying and you should have seen him, Kacchan. I couldn't have said no. And then he was gone and so was the opportunity and I keep wondering if it's because I wasn't working hard enough and if I was even a good choice in the first place. Nighteye wanted Togata-senpai to get it and, well, when someone screams at you enough times that you killed your hero, you almost start to believe it." Oh, Katsuki was going to _immolate _that fucker the next time he saw him, 'Inter-Agency Harmony' be damned. "I just can't help feeling like I let him down. He asked me to be his successor and I couldn't even do that right." _

"_Well, you didn't kill him, first of all so forget that shit," Katsuki spat. "Second, All Might doted on you like you were his own fucking kid. Even before you did your secret training, he was always grinning at you. He didn't give a shit that you were quirkless, he knew you had the stuff to be a kickass hero. I didn't know him like you did but I know he'd be proud as fuck of what you're doing now, quirk or not."_

"_Kacchan," Deku murmured and it pissed him off how pitiful he sounded. Deku usually screamed that name as they fought back to back against villains or when he was trying to punch all of Katsuki's teeth in. He made the dumbest fucking nickname mean something powerful; it's why Katsuki chose it as his hero name. Now it sounded like Deku was a kid again, crying because he'd never be a hero. Katsuki jumped to his feet. "Kacchan?"_

"_Come on, we're going out. We're going to get some food and then we're going to get shitfaced," he announced, dragging his partner from the ground and hauling him towards the elevator. _

"_Is that a good idea? We have an early morning conference with Yaoyorozu and then we're meeting with that PR lady about our marketing-"_

"_I'm not going to give a single fuck what happens tomorrow until we get some food and liquor in us as soon as humanly possible. Then I'm gonna kick your ass in a spar and we're gonna finish all our paperwork on that stupid case. And then maybe, at that point, I might give one shit about tomorrow."_

"_And people say I'm the reckless one," Deku said but he sounded a little more like his usual self and that was enough for Katsuki to know this was the right decision. Deku was right, they would be paying for this in the morning but at least they'd be feeling like shit together. _

"_From now on, you don't keep shit like that locked up anymore. You talk to me, round face, that half n' half bastard, I don't care who but you don't let this happen again or I'll kick your ass."_

"_You'll do that anyway," Katsuki didn't have to look to know Deku had that stupid face on. The one where he thinks they're friends or something and Katsuki's not just doing his due diligence to make sure his partner doesn't go over the edge. "Thanks, Kacchan." _

"_Shut the fuck up, you're buying, you damned nerd."_

**XxX**

Excerpt from an interview with Hero Lemillion (Togata Mirio) on _Heroes Live _1/12/2XXX

_**Akiyama:**_** Welcome ladies and gentlemen, we have a real treat for you this evening! Please welcome one of our favorites guests and the hero who will save one million lives: Lemillion!**

_**Lemillion:**_** What an introduction, thank you! It's been too long since I've been on but I've been quite busy in my personal life.**

_**Akiyama:**_** Yes! You and your longtime partner, Suneater, adopted a young girl, didn't you? Can we get a picture of the little dear on the screen for the audience? Oh, what an angel. I bet you and Amijiki-san are spoiling, Koharu, was it?**

_**Lemillion:**_** (Laughing) Yeah and well it's hard not to with a face like that but we're trying to be responsible parents. It's been a different experience but it's been good. There was a little girl we couldn't save back when we were still in high school… It really affected Tamaki and me both, so this is sort of our way of trying to pay back that debt.**

_**Akiyama:**_** You had quite the high school experience, going from the bottom to the top of your class almost overnight. In the past, you credited your meteoric rise to interning at Sir Nighteye's agency, would you care to talk about that?**

_**Lemillion:**_** I did learn a lot from Sir. He was a meticulous teacher who taught me a lot about how to get the most out of my quirk. Unfortunately, we had some disagreements about my career and we don't speak much anymore. **

_**Akiyama:**_** You've never publicly spoken on why you and Sir Nighteye dissolved your relationship but, if I may, rumor has it Deku was one of those disagreements. **

_**Lemillion:**_** Not really, Izuku just kind of ended up in the middle of it. He applied to intern at Sir's agency during my third year. Sir rejected him and I don't really want to get into it but things got ugly. It was one of the reasons I left the agency at the end of the semester but not the only one. Alright, I know you brought up Deku for a reason so, go on, ask your question.**

_**Akiyama:**_** (Laughing) I guess I was being a bit transparent there, alright, so on the record, how do you feel about Deku taking your title as the Symbol of Peace?**

_**Lemillion:**_** I don't know why everyone wants me to be upset about it! He's like my unofficial little brother, we catch up whenever we get the chance and he's always telling me about all the extra stuff he does outside of Heroics to help people. I can't think of anyone who deserves the title more. **

_**Akiyama:**_** It's funny, for all your popularity, you are one of the least competitive heroes out there. You were Number One for two years before Explosion overtook you. Since then, in the latest Billboard Charts, you dropped down to Number Six while you've been taking time off finalizing the adoption.**

_**Lemillon:**_** It's as Deku says, the Hero Rankings are just a popularity contest and have little to do with actual heroism. I'm so grateful to my fans for their support and I continue to work hard every day to reach my goal of saving a million lives but I don't stress about my ranking, not when there's more important things to worry about.**

_**Akiyama:**_** Like keeping taking cute pictures of little Koharu?**

_**Lemillion:**_** Oh well that's practically a full-time job in and of itself! I'm very happy with where I am right now. I'll probably stay out of the business for at least another month but, and this is official, I'll be doing a three month stint at One For All starting in June.**

_**Akiyama:**_** Oh how exciting, you heard it here first folks. Come summer we'll have two Symbols of Peace at one agency. We need to take a quick commercial break but when we come back, we're talking to Lemillion on Heroes Live!**

**XxX**

"Todoroki, Frost, shield now!" Midoriya shouted, forcing his voice to be heard over the thunderous din of the fight. It was a normal Wednesday afternoon; it was partly cloudy, there was a soft breeze in the air and a group of villains had decided to blow up the bank. There was a large clutch of panicked civilians just off to the side and one villain's intense fire quirk made the air unbearably hot and hard to breathe.

The only ones between them and an explosive, fiery demise were a tired rescue hero, one minor level ice hero, a smattering of scared interns and a dangerously determined quirkless man. The villains didn't stand a chance. As always, Shouto obeyed, working with the minor hero to bring up a large ice wall, not just to block the incoming attack but probably to serve as a shelter for the civilians behind them. Midoriya always was three steps ahead of everyone else.

"You two, keep fortifying that wall so they can't melt through. Titan, make sure our defenses are secure all the way around. Hammerhead, check on the civilians for any wounds and keep them calm; we don't need any unintended quirk usage. Wind Rider, I'm going to need you in a minute so-" But through it all, Midoriya looked like he was perfectly at home in the chaos, grabbing it and twisting it to his own needs. He really hoped all the jerks who told a younger Midoriya that he couldn't be a hero could see him now. All the heroes jumped to attention, falling into position at their leader's words. Only the stupid or the arrogant didn't immediately spring into action when Deku gave an order; it was a good way to determine the decent heroes from the self-absorbed idiots.

"Hey look at me, you're doing great," Shouto turned a bit at the sound of Midoriya's voice dropping in intensity. He had a hand on the shoulder of one of the younger interns, a work study student now that he recalled, who looked pretty out of his depth. Midoriya smiled, giving the kid his complete attention even as the world burned around them. Shouto had been on the receiving end of that smile enough times to know how powerful it was. "I'm going to need you for this next part, okay, Souma-kun? We can't go in with all that fire so we need to diminish and direct their flames using the air. When I give you the signal, I need you to gather as much of the wind as you can and force it upwards. Hammerhead and Titan will cover you and take out the villains. You've gotten so much better over the last couple of weeks, I know you can do it." One last squeeze and Midoriya let go, once more back in the fight.

"How are we doing over here? I trust you're not feeling too lost back in the big city," Midoriya teased. Shouto had only been back in Tokyo for about 2 weeks and yet he and Midoriya fell back into the same comfortable camaraderie as if he'd never left. Maybe one of these days, Shouto will find he won't be able to leave again. "Todoroki, I'm going to need you to burn through a section of the wall. It's going to need to be fast in order to get the drop on the villains so Wind Rider can do his thing," he continued on cautiously. A quick burn like that would require Flashfire, his father's favorite technique. Shouto huffed, leave it to Midoriya to fuss over that even when they're both adult pro heroes.

"Understood, just give me the signal when you're ready. Frost, you're going to want to back up," Shouto said, stopping his reinforcement of the ice wall to warm himself up for the concentrated flame. Midoriya gave him one last searching look before he checked in on all the other heroes, treating both the inexperienced students and veteran heroes with the same confidence and respect. He'd earned the nickname of _The Great Uniter _and it really was an apt description. "Todoroki, now!"

Shouto used to see Endeavor's face in his flames but he'd long since gotten past that. Now he could only see Midoriya's young, bloodied face screaming at him with the same white hot intensity that it was his power almost a decade before. God, has it really been that long? Flashfire made quick work of the ice and, on Midoriya's signal, the student rushed through the opening and redirected the villains' flames by controlling the wind while the more battle orientated interns finished them off. And just like that, the day was won with minimal property damage and no casualties other than a few minor injuries. That's what it meant to work under Deku.

"Hey you guys, great job!" Midoriya shouted enthusiastically at his beaming interns. "Hammerhead, your headbutt finishing move was amazing but be wary of head trauma. Titan, great save keeping the villains off of Rider. Wind Rider, that was incredible! I need to see if I can get Gale to work with you on fine tuning large area wind movement, it's a battle changer! Now let's help Todoroki clean up our ice shield. Media's here already; Hammerhead, it's your turn to practice answering their questions." And to think Midoriya had been shocked when Sensei suggested he think about teaching. Midoriya had avoided the issue saying he was busy enough but Shouto will admit he had been giving the idea some thought himself. Maybe it would give him a reason to stay in Tokyo, to stay with-

"Hey there Mido! I thought I heard you giving out orders!" Ashido announced, throwing an arm around Midoriya's shoulder in a half hug. "We were in the neighborhood and thought we'd see what all the fuss was about." She let go to punch him hard in the shoulder. "And congrats on getting the Symbol of Peace! It was way overdue; I totally voted for you!"

"Ah thanks," Midoriya said shyly, rubbing at the back of his neck at the compliment. "I guess I didn't realize we so close to Creati's Agency. Hey, Shinsou, how are you? Funny seeing you in the sun much less an active crime scene, thought you weren't a combative hero."

"Yaoyorozu wanted us to tell you to stop making a mess on her doorstep. Now leave, so real heroes can get some work done," Shinsou glared, but in that weird way that Midoriya insisted was friendly. Midoriya laughed despite the slight and Shinsou's mouth did a half smile; Shouto really did not get their relationship. Despite the fact that Ashido and Shinsou had shown up after the fighting stopped, reporters still focused in on them asking all kinds of questions. Meanwhile, none of them so much as looked to the hero who had quickly, safely and efficiently moved their forces to win the day. Midoriya kept telling Shouto to get over his anger at the unfairness of it all but he should know by now that Shouto was excellent at harboring grudges.

"You okay?" Shouto turned to find Midoriya looking at him, "you've got this look on your face."

"Oh," Shouto said, looking at his first and best friend and probably something more if he ever dared to admit to it. "Yeah I'm fine, I guess I'm glad to be here. I like working with you."

"I'm glad to hear that, always happy to have you, Todoroki," Midoriya blushed, turning away to look at the crowd that was still pretty much ignoring them. He never called Shouto by his hero name, no matter how much he wanted to hear it from Midoriya's lips. "What I mean is, we always have a place for someone of your skills at One For All."

"Even if I decided to stay on permanently?" Shouto asked before he could think better of it. Midoriya froze and looked up at him. "Just something I've been thinking about, maybe we could talk about it sometime, maybe over dinner, just the two of us. What are you doing tonight?"

"I'm busy," Midoriya announced. "Gotta do some work for AFO, you know, and I'm pretty sure I'm behind on laundry and there's a new episode of my favorite Hero Podcast I need to listen to so I'm pretty booked." He gulped, "uh maybe some other time?"

"Yeah, sure," Shouto said, trying not to feel disappointed. He knows he's not the best with people but sometimes he just doesn't know what to think of Midoriya. Or more specifically, what Midoriya thinks of _him _.

"Deku-san?" Hammerhead called, looking a little overwhelmed with all the reporters shouting questions at her.

"I should uh go help her," Midoriya said, scooting away. "I'll catch up with you back at the office and uh I'll look at my schedule. We'll hang out soon, I promise." And then he was gone, standing beside his intern and deftly taking control of the situation.

"Ouch, that was tough to watch, buddy," Ashido said, laying an arm across his shoulders "But don't lose heart, Todoroki! I'm certain Mido likes you back he's just still super awkward about everything even at 25."

"Why would I lose my heart, it's in my chest," Shouto frowned. Ashido just laughed and slapped him on the back.

"Hilarious as always Todo. Don't give up on Midoriya, give him time and he'll come to you," she said before going off to harass the others.

During the clean-up, Shouto found himself glancing several times at Midoriya out of the corner of his eye. Maybe Ashido was right, it was getting harder to pretend that he didn't want to stay here in Tokyo with Midoriya, with his friend, with his... He looked away. He enjoyed being a rescue hero and he was happy working Tsuyu-san, but...It was something to think about in the last few months of his contract at One For All. For now, he had a street to clean up, civilians to calm and a best friend to support.

**XxX**

_**Bakugou Katsuki's (Kacchan) Number One Hero Acceptance Speech**_

_[Bakugou ascended the stage, decked in a tailored black suit with red accents on the collar and cuffs. His chin length hair was held back in his signature spiky tail but it was neater than normal; his normal facial scruff had also been shaved. The top button of his white collared shirt was undone and he was not wearing a tie though cameras caught one on him when he arrived. There was thunderous applause from the audience.]_

_**Bakugou: Thank you**__[waiting for the applause to die down]_

_**Bakugou: To be the Number One is to have the whole country, the whole world, have their eyes on you. Over the years, the Japanese title has been held by those who have truly deserved it such as All Might and by those who have not like Endeavor.**_

_[several people could be seen backstage, waving at Bakugou who pointedly turned away from them]_

_**Bakugou: I worked very hard to get to this point. Ever since my quirk came in I have trained to become the very best. This was always the peak I aspired to reach, this was the top of the mountain.**_

_**Bakugou: But what I didn't understand when I was younger and stupider was that the Number One position is not the top. It's just a number given to you by a bunch of crusty old men who don't know (bleep) about being a hero. There are still higher heights to reach, still ways that I can, that we all can, continue to improve.**_

_**Bakugou: Take, for example, our esteemed Hero Boards.**_

_[Bakugou took the microphone off the stand and stalked closer to the audience]_

_**Bakugou: I formed my agency with my partner, Deku, right out of high school. Two Heroes was something we built together, just the two of us as per our name. We split the work evenly and worked ourselves to the **_**(bleep)** _**bone to be the best heroes possible. Within our first year, I was ranked Number Seven, our second I was Third. **_

_**Bakugou: Deku left Two Heroes to form his own agency at the end of our second year together to "properly compete" with me and yet, despite doing all the same work I did that put me in the Top Ten, my old partner and one of the best **_**(bleep)** _**heroes I know, is still not in the Top One Hundred. He is only here tonight because I had to invite him as my plus one over my own**_** (bleep)** _**mother. Red Riot has been invaluable since he took over but the fact is that I wouldn't have gotten here without Deku.**_

_[Quick pan over to the Top Three's Table where Midoriya Izuku (Deku, unranked) had his head on the table, covered by his Mirio (Lemillion, Number Two) laughed and patted his back]_

_**Bakugou: All Might taught us about peace and he showed us a standard of Heroics we all should try to reach. But All Might is dead and throwing ourselves at his feet will not fix all that is **_**(bleep)** _**in our society.**_

_**Bakugou: You say you want peace but I say there will be no peace until we learn to change. Until we accept all the things that are **_**(bleep)** _**up around here and make a stand. If every hero, if every person, stood up for something they believed in even when it was hard, then maybe one day we'll be closer to the world All Might tried to give us.**_

_[Bakugou walked back to the center of the stage and loudly replaced the microphone]_

_**Bakugou: Number One isn't the top, that will come when I work my (bleep) off here in this life and can look the best hero in the eye and tell him I beat him, that I brought real lasting peace to Japan, in the next life. We'll get there, even if I have to drag you all by the hair along the way.**_

_[Bakugou raised a fist and there was confused, awkward applause]_

_**Bakugou: Now to the buffet where I'm going to ignore most of you.**_

**XxX**

"Ugh, Ochako?" Deku groaned from her back and Ochako let out a sigh of relief as she stood up with him. If he was talking, he probably wasn't dying.

"Yeah, it's me," she said, shifting Deku's weight a little bit on her back and began the short walk to Deku's office. While she was using her quirk he didn't weigh anything but she still wanted to make sure her best friend was comfortable. "How're you feeling back there?"

"Uh tired and a bit woozy," he mumbled, "what happened?"

"You tell me, Deku, we had made plans to hang out after work and get a bite to eat. I was at your agency going up to your floor to get you when I found you unconscious in the elevator." Ochako took a deep breath just remembering the initial jolt of fear when she'd seen Deku's slumped and still form. "You don't have any obvious injuries and, according to one of your interns, you'd returned from patrol about an hour before."

"Oh," Deku said and from that tone alone Ochako knew exactly what happened.

"Did you eat today? Or sleep last night? Did you even slow down at all today?" She sighed as she stepped into his office then over to the side wall where she punched in the keypad and opened the door to the small back bedroom. They were supposed to be last resorts when a hero couldn't make it home for some reason but Deku probably slept here more often than he did his own apartment.

"It was a busy day," Deku admitted as Ochako released her quirk and dropped him onto the bed as gently as she could. "There was one villain that caused a back up in the sewer system and it took a few hours to sort out afterwards and Yaoyorozu is making me get a tailored suit for the Gala so I had to be measured. Sunspot and Indigo, two of my work studies, needed to interview me for a school assignment or something. Then I had a conference call with Taketsu's law firm. We're working that proposal on harsher punishment for unjust discrimination against innocent citizens with 'villainous' quirks followed by my normal patrol…"

"Izuku," she whispered, running her hands briefly through his messy curls. "You can't keep doing this to yourself. When Jirou was working here a few months ago she said you hardly even sat down during the day. We're worried about you."

"There's just so much to do," Deku whined from the bed, the effect diminished because he was so utterly spent. "You know me, I see something and I gotta fix it. I just can't stand by and do nothing."

"You never change," she huffed, pulling a blanket from the bottom of the bed and settling it over him. "But you gotta think of yourself sometimes too, for the people who love you if nothing else. Remember how sad you were when we heard All Might died? We would be just as sad if something happened to you."

"I know," he muttered. One of these days she would get it through his thick skull that for all the love he gave, he was loved back just as fiercely. "Sorry about all this, I guess dinner is off. We can catch up at the Gala on Saturday."

"Uh-uh, you're not getting off that easy," Ochako hummed, pulling out her phone and searching for the nearest shop that delivered. "You are going to catch some Z's while I order take-out, we'll eat some deliciously fattening foods and then I'll walk you back to your place which is probably covered in cobwebs and haunted by this point."

"You don't have-"

"I want to," she stressed, "because I love you and I want to spend time with you."

"I love you too just like, you know," Izuku stuttered awkwardly and she could only smile. Back when she thought she knew what love was, she thought all the affection she had for Deku was a sign of romance. They struggled, trying to make it work their second year but, upon reflection, it was so clear Deku wasn't ready for a committed relationship and she didn't really love him in that way. He was her best friend, a soul mate, just as strong yet different to what she felt for Tenya. They fit perfectly together just the way they were. Now if only she could convince him and Todoroki to get over themselves and go out on a date then everything would be perfect.

"I know, dummy. Now, I'm calling that weird little ramen shop you like down the road, should I order your usual?"

"Yeah, get some pork buns too," Deku responded, already half asleep again. "Thanks 'chako."

"It's not a problem 'zuku," she said with a light kiss to his temple before she stepped towards the window to quietly order their food. By the time she was done, Deku was already back asleep; his green curls squashed flat against the bed and his limbs all awkwardly bent from where she'd flopped him. He looked so sweet while he slept, not like the mad man he was when he was awake. She texted Todoroki and Sero, both of whom were currently working at One For All and let them know to make sure Deku took it easy for the next few days. She tapped her phone to her lips. It'd been almost a year since she'd done a rotation with Deku. She should check if he had any openings coming up, she'd missed him. That and he clearly needed someone to bully him into a regular schedule.

"What are we going to do with you, Deku?" she asked herself quietly in that small, messy back bedroom. The answer, of course, was obvious; take care of him so he could try and take care of the whole world. It was a full-time job some days keeping Deku afloat but as long as Ochako was around, she'd never let him hit the ground.

**XxX**

_Rising Sun News: _Online Edition

_Opinion: Can a Quirkless Man be a Symbol of Anything Much Less Peace?_

I have never liked Midoriya Izuku, even when he was a student at Yuuei. Before anyone gets on their high horse, I have no problems with quirkless people in general. What upsets me about Deku is that he has to constantly rub his quirklessness in everyone's face like it's our fault he was born wrong. I don't know about you, but I am quite sick of seeing his green hair pop up seemingly every commercial break harassing us for money for his stupid foundation or taking up valuable news time to lobby yet another reform to give away our rights to people who don't contribute anything to society. He has the gall to claim he's all about fairness and equality when he only got to where he was by manipulating the system. He should have been removed from Yuuei, maybe even gone to jail for what he did back in the day with the Hosu Affair and Stain. But these SJWs keep letting him get away with it all because he's a "disadvantaged minority".

He is not only a disgrace to modern heroics, he is a disgrace to All Might's name. Deku is nothing like All Might and to compare him to one of the greatest heroes of all time is a tragedy. All Might stood for something, that's what made him such a great hero. Deku is just a rabble rouser, he doesn't care about peace or tradition, he just wants to use his power to advance his own agenda. Some of his old classmates say Deku was All Might's favorite but that just feels like made up propaganda. Maybe that's why Midoriya winning this particular title stings so much. He doesn't represent a bright light in the dark like Lemillion or overwhelming victory like Explosion - Deku is a symbol of a bygone age. He represents a past we would rather forget than the glorious future we could be looking towards. So no, I don't believe Deku deserves this prestigious title. He is the epitome of selfishness, disrespect and uselessness, someone who could not be farther from the greatest hero who'd ever lived.

_Comments have been disabled for this article_

**XxX**

"A-and I want to use my-my title to help p-promote, promote peace like All M-," Izuku choked out before he took another swig from his drink in order to stop himself from falling apart completely. He'd only broken down twice so far so, all things considered, his speech writing was going pretty well. He set down his drink to wipe at his eyes. He needed to be at least somewhat sober if he was going to finish this thing in time for the Gala tomorrow. He squinted at the clock, uh, make that later tonight.

Perhaps lying crumpled up on the floor of All Might's apartment, now his for the past five years, was not the best place to work. Gran Torino and later Kacchan had told him time and again to sell the place or at least make it his own but Izuku just couldn't do it. It took years before he could bring himself to take down Yagi-san's personal effects and stop living out of boxes in the back room. It was slow going but it hurt every time; last month he replaced the counter top and he'd had to take two days off of work to get over it. Grief didn't stop with the funeral and certainly didn't stop with home renovations almost a decade later. Some days he wondered if he was ever going to get over the loss, other days if he even wanted to.

He put down his messy scribbles of notes and half finished ideas to grab at his hair, pulling on the messy, tangled strands. How was he supposed to write a speech when he didn't know if he even deserved the honor? How could he even imagine bearing the title of the man whose absence made Izuku ache like the wound that had killed All Might in the first place?

To distract himself from those ugly, intrusive thoughts, he pulled over a nearby box filled with some of All Might's pictures and awards. He'd taken them down almost a year ago but he'd never worked up the nerve to actually put them away. Izuku sorted through pictures of Yagi-san's famous friends and autographs, framed newspaper clippings of All Might's most famous escapades and award after award for the man who had seemed so much bigger than life itself.

How could he ever hope to live up to this legacy, to be the kind of successor that would make Yagi-san proud in the next life? If he'd only been stronger, trained harder, then maybe, _just maybe _, All Might would still be here. Izuku was putting away a picture of All Might smiling with the Prime Minister of the day when he found a photo that didn't belong.

"How did you end up in here?" Izuku murmured to himself as studied the frame. He knew the picture obviously, it was taken at his high school graduation and somehow had ended up in his All Might box. He was about to put it away but instead elected to look at it closer. It was him, Ochako, Tenya, Tsuyu, Todoroki, Kirishima and Kacchan was half out of the frame. They've all got their arms around each other, aside from Kirishima who was trying to drag Kacchan into the group photo. They looked so happy there in their caps and gowns with the whole future ahead of them, before the humiliation at the Hero Licensing Exam or being the last of his class to be officially ranked. Izuku studied the version of himself five years ago.

He remembered crying an obscene amount that day though you couldn't really tell from the photo. All he could see was the wide, bright smile as he held his diploma in one hand and his friends in the other. He looked happy, ready to take on the world for the sake of his dream. Izuku pulled back and looked at the mess he'd made around him. Was he still that happy? He thinks he was, busier for sure and frustrated more often than not but he genuinely loved what he did and who he did it with. He'd been working himself almost to the point of obsession trying to do more, to be worthy but it seemed like he didn't step back enough to appreciate how far he'd come already. All Might had worked himself literally to death, but was it Izuku's responsibility to share his fate? Was that how he wanted to live his life?

He set the photo down and picked up a newspaper clipping of All Might holding part of a broken airplane aloft so the people beneath could escape. Things would have been so different if Izuku really had gotten All Might's quirk, had his guidance all these years. But then, if he'd gotten One For All, he couldn't have done the things he was doing now. On most days, Izuku was very proud of the work he did both at One For All and the All For One Foundation; on those days he felt like he was actually making a difference. Maybe he wasn't All Might, wasn't the Ninth user of One For All but he was still a hero. A hero that enough of his colleagues believed in to vote for him as their Symbol of Peace.

As much as it pained him, All Might was gone, but the peace he had believed in still wasn't quite here yet. It was up to Izuku and all the heroes of today to stand up and make that change happen. Because there was still so much work to do, a lifetime's worth, and Izuku was ready to get started. But he couldn't do that by clinging onto to All Might's memory. He curled around the photo, holding it close to his chest and feeling too many things. He didn't know what Yagi-san would think of him now but he could only move forward with all the things his mentor had taught him. When Izuku's time was up and he got to see Yagi-san on the other side, he wanted to look his hero in the eye and say 'I did it, I stood up for something I believed in and left the world a better place than I found it'. But that was, hopefully, a long ways off and he had a lot to do if he was going to try and honor his predecessor's legacy.

Feeling suddenly invigorated, Izuku grabbed his notes and walked over to the dining room table. Shoving aside all his various tools and documents, he set himself down and began to write like a man possessed. A new Symbol of Peace was here and it was about time he owned up to it, on his own terms. _Watch me All Might _, he thought to himself as he wrote.

_Watch me, I'm going to make you proud._

_Watch me, I'm not going to give up even when it's hard._

_Watch me, I'm going to change the system for the better and make a world people can be safe and happy in._

_Watch me._

**XxX**

"_Hey All uh Yagi-san?" Young Midoriya questioned, distractedly swirling the straw in his milkshake. Poor boy had looked exhausted from his beach training that Toshinori had felt compelled to feed him before sending him home. He couldn't have the boy collapsing again, especially the day before the end of semester practical exam and, well, Toshinori never turned down an opportunity to spend extra time with his favorite student. "Do you think I'll ever make it to Number One?"_

"_Oh I have no doubt, my boy," Toshinori said proudly in the face of the boy's obvious insecurity. "In fact, I wouldn't count you out even if you didn't take One For All. You have a drive in you that inspires those around you, and it will carry you to the very top even without my meddling." Young Midoriya flushed bright red and focused really hard on his milkshake. In his heart of hearts, Toshinori would love to see a quirkless hero out there but sadly One For All took priority. _

"_I still hope you plan on taking the quirk," He coughed awkwardly after a moment, taking care to talk under his breath. "I know you're aware my health isn't very good these days and I really can't afford to wait much longer." That was something of an understatement; his doctors seemed amazed he'd made it this long with his injury. But as long as he had a finish line in mind, he could make it that extra mile. He could only hope Young Midoriya would be prepared for that eventuality. _

"_No, of course I will, as soon as I can," the boy answered quickly, nodding his head so forcefully that his curls bounced. They begged to be ruffled, maybe later, before they parted for the night. "I'm almost there, Yagi-san, I'll take One for All and carry on your work. Not just of All Might but of the quirkless kid who dreamed of a world where people could feel safe."_

"_My boy," Toshinori said thickly, wrapping a thin arm around Young Midoriya's shoulder and pulling him close. As always, the young man stiffened at the contact before slowly, very slowly, melting into his frail, bony shoulder. Toshinori wished he had even a fraction of his old strength if only so he could hug this boy tightly to his chest and make up for all the physical contact he'd clearly never received. He closed his eyes. What he would give for just a little bit more time, not for training or One For All but for _this _. "I can't wait to watch you shine."_

"_I-it's getting dark out," Young Midoriya stammered out after a comfortable minute and they separated themselves, falling back into the familiar teacher/student dynamic instead of unspoken, deeper relationship they sometimes wandered into. Toshinori rubbed absentmindedly at his chest. It was bothering him more than usual today, probably from that car chase earlier. He needed to hand his quirk off soon before the damn thing killed him. _

"_Right, right wouldn't want to worry your mother and your final exam is just a day away. A growing boy like you needs your rest," Toshinori announced, standing up and leading them outside the diner. "Before you know it, the summer holidays will be here. That's when you'll get your reward, my boy!" _

"_Yeah," Young Midoriya muttered softly, looking wistful and contemplative. Toshinori gave into his earlier desire to muss up his student's hair, enjoying how soft and bouncy it was. "Hey!" The boy laughed, swiping at his hand._

"_Enough of that face, you prince of nonsense. You won't get the quirk a moment before you're ready, alright?" Toshinori said and was pleased to see Young Midoriya relax, just a bit. He smiled down at the boy. It wasn't his media smile, big and bright, nor even the chipper ones he gave to other students; this was a small, fond smile that came so naturally when he looked at his successor. "I'll see you in the morning, okay? You're going to do great, you and Young Bakugou both."_

"_Oh so we're teaming up for our exams," Young Midoriya teased slyly, sharp as ever. Toshinori spit out some blood._

" Shit _, don't tell Aizawa I told you that," he said, looking around to ensure Eraserhead wouldn't swoop down and strangle him with his scarf for accidentally giving away test details to a student. Teaching sure was hard. "Now get going before I do something foolish like try and give you a quirk the day before a big test."_

"_No worries, I'll be getting it soon enough anyway," Young Midoriya said brightly. Though there was still some hesitation in the young man's eyes, he mostly saw resolution. Yes, he'd be ready soon and maybe by then Toshinori would be too. When he first got the quirk he couldn't imagine going back to being quirkless, but seeing Young Midoriya fight through every obstacle, it didn't seem like anything to worry about. "See you tomorrow!" The boy said in a rush, giving an enthusiastic wave before sprinting off in the direction of his home._

_In a fit of nostalgia, Toshinori watched the boy's back until he was gone from sight. He laughed quietly to himself; he was getting soft in his old age. Coughing a bit as he walked back to his apartment, he thought that he truly was happy for the first time in a great many years. At the end of his life he had finally found something, someone, to live for. He knew he wouldn't live to see Young Midoriya reach Number One - hell, he'd be lucky if he saw the boy graduate - but somehow that was alright. Because whether or not he was here to see it, he knew Midoriya Izuku would go on to do great things. _

_His hour was almost up but he was leaving the world in excellent hands. Comforted, he made his way back home, feeling especially tired and hoping that a good night's rest would prepare him for the battle exam tomorrow. No one could know that when Yagi Toshinori laid down to sleep that night, he would never wake up again. Nor could they know that his student's bright future was his last thought on this earth._

**XxX**

_Announcer: An our final acknowledgement of the night goes to Deku, number 76 on the Hero Billboard Charts and your new Symbol of Peace! Ladies and Gentlemen, Midoriya Izuku!_

_Nakamura: Oh Deku is looking very sharp this evening, I believe I heard he mentioned during the initial gathering that Creati helped pick out that suit this evening. _

_Chigusa: Quirkless he may be but he sure knows how to work a suit. _

**Midoriya:** Thank you, everyone. It's an honor, an absolute honor to be on this stage tonight.

I'd like to take a moment to thank my Mom. I know I was a handful at times but you were there when no one else was and that meant the world to me. To my old teachers, for pretty much the same reason. To my friends and fellow heroes for making the world, my world, a better place. And to All Might, for believing in me.

It's hard to pinpoint that one moment in your life that changes everything. For awhile I thought it was when All Might told me I could be a hero during the awards ceremony at my first Sports Festival, later reiterated after my fight with Stain.

But in the years that have passed, I've realized that those weren't the moments that changed my fate. It really started a year before, when my oldest friend and your Number One Hero, Kacchan, was just a scared kid trapped by a sludge villain. When I ran forward, without a plan, without a quirk and decided I couldn't stand back and let people suffer when I could do something about it.

All Might was my idol and my teacher, but he was also a man I grew to care for and respect beyond his power and status. But he is not the reason I am standing here tonight. He helped me, along with so many other people, but I got here because of my own hard work and abilities. I miss him more than I can properly describe and not a day goes by that I don't wonder if he would be proud of the work I'm doing in the spirit of his name. All I can do is my best as his successor, to go above and beyond for every soul I can reach.

There will never be another like All Might but I believe if we band together, as heroes and humans, we can all be successors to the peace he fought and died for. In a way, this title is all of ours because it's all of our responsibilities to create a better world.

Thank you again.

_Nakamura: Oh my goodness that was quite powerful, not at all what I was expecting. _

_Chigusa: I think I'm starting to see why Deku is so often compared to All Might._

_Nakamura: Anyway that concludes the Heroes Gala JP and what an amazing ceremony. Be sure to stay tuned for the after party where we'll be interviewing some of this year's top heroes and our new Symbol of Peace. I'm Nakamara Masumi. _

_Chigusa: And I'm Chigusa Hiroto and we will return after this commercial break. _

**XxX**

"Deku!" Ochako shouted, hug tackling him the moment she saw him in the ballroom. "You almost made me cry with that speech, are you trying to ruin my make-up?"

"Ochako, please we are in public, my love and there are cameras," Tenya said, gently straightening his girlfriend's shawl before placing a steady hand on Izuku's upper arm. "But I must agree, that was quite the stirring speech. It's a good sentiment to keep in mind as we move forward in the world All Might and the others left us to protect."

"Thanks guys," Izuku said, feeling warm and comfortably exhausted, the way you feel after you've completed a big task you weren't sure you could handle. He feels light, free, for the first time in a long while. "I'm sure someone out there will take issue with it but it felt really good to get some of that out in the open."

"I can imagine," Tenya said warmly with his lopsided smile, releasing Izuku's arm. "Now I believe I saw Mic-Sensei and Aizawa-sensei earlier by the drinks table. We should go say our hellos soon before Aizawa-san's leg requires them to leave." Izuku's eye caught a flash of red and white in the crowd out of the corner of his eye.

"Sensei's been milking that injury since our second year. Any time he wants to get out of something, he acts like he can barely walk," Ochako snorted, linking arms with Tenya and walking to where their old teachers probably were. "You coming, Deku?"

"Deku!" Kacchan's voice radiated through the crowd and Ochako grinned even as Tenya frowned and adjusted his glasses.

"Uh, I'll catch up," Izuku shrugged, glancing over at Tenya. "And I promise not to start anything with Kacchan. We're supposed to be setting a good example tonight after all."

"Good," Tenya sighed with relief.

"So we'll just have to wait until after midnight and we've had a few drinks," he couldn't help but tease as he decided to take the bull by the horns and confront Kacchan before the bastard attacked him from behind again. Ochako's uproarious laughter followed him as he searched for the Number One.

"What the fuck, Deku why'd you have to bring up that stupid sludge villain story? All the good fucking times we had and that's the one you had to mention?" Kacchan sneered, coming up to Izuku with a tall drink in one hand and Kirishima's wrist in the other.

"Hey Midoriya, don't listen to Katsuki I thought it was a great speech," Kirishima said, getting out of Kacchan's grip to pull Izuku in for a hug. "All Might is so proud of you, dude, we all are."

"Thanks, Kirishima," Izuku smiled as his friend thumped him a few times on his back before releasing him.

"Oh, so All Might's proud of some quirkless fuck who's barely ranked and not _me _who surpassed him by becoming Number One three years after my debut?" Kacchan grumbled. Kirishima just laughed and hugged him too.

"All Might's proud of all of us, he was a great teacher like that," he grinned. "So when are you two gonna go at it?"

"Right now," Kacchan grinned, pushing his drink into Kirishima's hand to start rolling up his sleeves.

"Later," Izuku interceded hastily. "I need to have some food first, catch up with people. Let me know when you get tired of being a halfway decent person and we'll head to the facility by my agency. We can find a change of clothes there too since I'd rather not ruin my new, expensive suit. You gonna spot us, Kirishima?"

"Hell yeah," Kirishima grinned, giving him a thumbs up. "Find someone else willing to watch you two go all out and we'll be good to go. Now come on, Katsuki, as the second partner at Two Heroes, I'm telling you that you need to go shake some hands and smile at reporters before you're allowed to let loose."

"Fuck," Kacchan cursed. "Deku never made me do this shit," he said even as he let Kirishima drag him toward the large crowd of cameras. "Don't you chicken out on me, Deku. I'm still pissed about that sludge thing y'know."

"I saved your life, asshole," Izuku responded back with a fond smile as they disappeared into the crowd. But that was Kacchan through and through and Izuku wasn't sure he'd want him any other way.

"Hey there, little bro," Mirio-senpai said, coming from out of nowhere to aggressively ruffle up the hair some poor girl had worked so long to tame. "Congrats on the title, don't tell anyone I said this, but you deserve it way more than I did."

"Hey, you were a great Symbol of Peace, Senpai," Izuku exclaimed, ducking from under his senior's grip. "Where's Amajiki-senpai?"

"Oh you know Tamaki, he hates these things. His anxiety was playing hell with him this week so he played sick and stayed home with Koharu. I'll probably join them before too long. Speaking of which, you gotta schedule some time in-between saving the world to come see my little girl," Mirio-senpai grinned, poking him forcefully in the chest.

"Of course, yeah, give me some time for all this to calm down and I'll be there," Izuku smiled.

"I won't hold you up but I'd stay over on this side of the hall," Mirio-senpai said with a slight frown. "Sir is over that way and you know how he gets about you and All Might."

"It's fine, I'm used to it," Izuku shrugged even though Nighteye's disapproval did still kind of hurt after all this time. "Maybe you should talk to him though, I know you two used to be so close…"

"Izuku," Senpai said with a fond smile but steady eyes. "I've told you a million times, what happened wasn't your fault. I learned a lot from him but I just can't respect a man who was keeping so much about_ You Know What _behind my back. Now enough of all that, enjoy the party and I'm not forgetting that you promised to visit soon. I know where you live, don't test me."

"I know, see you," Izuku laughed as his friend left, already feeling kind of exhausted by all the attention. He needed a few minutes to breathe away from everyone to just be himself. Automatically, he started searching again for that two-toned hair he'd glimpsed earlier.

"If you're looking for Shou-chan," Tsuyu said, coming up behind Izuku and scaring him half out of his skin, "I last saw him standing outside on the balcony over by the exit. You know he's never cared for the social aspect of heroics."

"Oh thanks, but how did you..." Izuku questioned.

"You get this certain look on your face when you're thinking about him, ribbit," she answered and Izuku cleared his throat to stop himself from blushing. "It's a good look, you both deserve some happiness."

"Right," Izuku murmured, "I'll uh, I'll just go talk to him then." He'd been thankful so many times in his life for being plain looking and it came in handy once more. Keeping his head low, he was able to weave through the crowd without being noticed, searching for some fresh air and perhaps a friend. To his luck, he found both.

"Having fun, Todoroki?" Izuku asked, settling next to one of his best friends. Todoroki just shrugged.

"It's not really my idea of fun but I did enjoy your speech; it was very powerful," he said, angling himself a little closer to Izuku. "I know everyone else has told you this but he'd be really proud, you always were his favorite."

"Thanks," Izuku said softly, meaning it as he relaxed properly for the first time all night. Todoroki always had that kind of effect on him - everything was so easy around him and he didn't feel like he needed to pretend. He closed his eyes and turning his head up towards the chill breeze running through his hair like thin, skeletal fingers. The past was passed but the future was wide open and it was about time he ran towards it. "Were you serious before, about staying on permanently at One For All?"

"I'm giving it serious thought. Tsuyu-san and I have had a great partnership but I think I'm looking for something new." Todoroki glanced at him, "If that would be okay with you."

"Yeah," Izuku breathed, opening his eyes. It was a beautiful night and he was in good company, as far-fetched as the idea had once seemed, he really was happy. Maybe All Might never had this but Izuku could. "We can talk about it more if you want. I'll be free tomorrow night if you want to go out for something to eat."

"Really?" Todoroki asked, looking surprised for a moment before shifting back to his neutral expression. "You said you were busy, I wasn't sure you'd-"

"Want to spend time with one of my closest friends and possibly a future partner at my agency? I can take a day off, especially for you, Shouto," Izuku said, casually dropping his friend's first name as if it were no big deal. It shouldn't be, it had been Todoroki's hero name for years and everyone called him it. And still it felt so intimate. Todoroki turned away from Izuku, bringing a hand up to his mouth. It looked like his left shoulder was smoking slightly. "Are you uh alright?"

"Fine, yes, why wouldn't I be?" Todoroki insisted even if there was a slightly hysterical edge to his voice. "But yes," he continued, clearing his throat. "Dinner tomorrow sounds good. It'll be nice to just talk a bit without there being some crisis. If I may," indecision crossed his face, "what exactly did you mean in your speech, when you said you were All Might's successor?" It was an old secret and an old hurt but maybe it was time to open that box again.

"It's, uh, kind of a long story, we can save that for tomorrow," Izuku said.

"I'm looking forward to it," Todoroki smiled and, in that moment, everything seemed perfect. Izuku looked up at the moon, and wondered if Yagi-san was watching him. He hoped so because Izuku was only just getting started and he wanted to show his hero how far he could go. Not bad for a quirkless brat who took the long way around to his childhood dream.

"Oh, hey, would you be willing to spot me and Kacchan when we spar later on? Kirishima's already on board and it'll give you an excuse to leave early," Izuku asked.

"You two are impossible," Todoroki, _Shouto _, said with a shake of his head. Izuku smiled, that wasn't a no.

"Come on, let's go say hi to Aizawa-sensei and Mic-sensei before they leave."

**XxX**

Assemblies sucked, Hirohito thought, slouching a bit in his chair. Not that it was much better in class. Cihura-sensei was a good teacher and he should be happy to be in Yuuei at all but being in General Education, so close and yet so far from the heroes felt almost too cruel. Not that it really mattered, it wasn't like he was going to be a hero anyway, not with his quirk.

"What do you think this is about?" Ikeda whispered next to him, his head fins wiggling in curiosity.

"I don't know, probably something stupid, I mean it's not even the whole school. I only see GE, Support and Business kids here; the Hero kids are probably doing something cool and they didn't want us rejects to feel left out," Hirohito mumbled back.

"Hey, come on, don't be so _negative _," Ikeda giggled and Hirohito frowned in disapproval. "Seriously, it could be interesting. You know how much Chiura-sensei hates pomp and circumstance, it has to be something good to let us be pulled out of class."

"Hey, fishboy, basically quirkless, will you kindly shut the hell up," Minami said, giving them a quick glare over their shoulder before going back to playing on their phone.

"I'm not quirkless," Hirohito grumbled under his breath while Ikeda patted his shoulder in sympathy. All kinds of super amazing quirks existed in the world with infinite possibilities. Red Riot, his absolute idol, had taken a simple defensive quirk and made it all the way to the Top Ten. But Hirohito's quirk was so passive, so boring, that nothing could be done with it._ Negation _was just what it said on the tin, most emitter quirks didn't work on him, a fact he found out when he broke his arm at age 6 and all the healing quirks in the hospital couldn't fix it. Great until you realized it didn't do much against a flaming fist or sharp teeth or anything else remotely cool.

It was better than being quirkless, but just barely.

"Alright, settle down everyone," Chiura-sensei said in his soft but stern tone that demanded attention immediately. "We're about to begin. We will be visited by one of our esteemed alumni, a student who started out in General Education and was able to make his way to the Hero course and from there, become our new Symbol of Peace." A lot of mumbling started up at that and Ikeda slapped at his arm in excitement; Hirohito sat up a bit in interest. He wasn't a big fan of Deku like Ikeda was but he'd always respected the guy for doing literally the impossible. "Deku will be speaking to you about your futures. You may only first years but it's best if you start working towards your goals now. So put your phones down and pay attention, because this man is the real deal."

"You're getting soft in your old age, Sensei," Deku grinned, genially patting their terrifying teacher on the shoulder. "And to think Eraserhead still calls me Menace to Society. I guess you only had me for half a semester so I didn't cause you as many headaches." He turned to them, flashing a bright smile at the large assembly hall. Hirohito saw that smile so often on the news or during all those Foundation ads but it was so much more potent in person. "Good morning everyone, thank you for giving me some of your time today."

"I can't believe I'm seeing Deku in person," Ikeda warbled. "Ah he changed his belt design to All Might's old logo too. I wonder if he's keeping that or if just temporary 'cause of his recent appointment," his friend mused aloud but Hirohito wasn't paying attention to that. All he could think about was how someone with no powers, someone who should have been nobody, could stand so tall and radiate such magnetic confidence.

"So my name is Midoriya Izuku, though you probably know me by my professional name is Deku, and I am a hero. But I wasn't always one. Once I was maybe a little bit like you, a frustrated kid who'd been told to give up before I even got started. But the day I decided that I didn't care about what others thought of me, that I wasn't as useless as they said, was the first day my goal was in reach. It's not easy to chase after impossible dreams and I can't even guarantee that it can even happen, all I know is that you'll never know unless you try. It doesn't even have to be Heroics, there are so many great opportunities out there for motivated kids and I want to see you all reach them. That's why your teachers asked me to talk to you all today."

Deku smiled, crossing his arms casually, "please raise your hand if you have a dream that no one else believes in. Don't be shy now, I know you all have them. There we are, okay, you there with the lilac hair, want to share? This is an open environment, please feel safe speaking." Hirohito listened as people from all different departments listed off various dreams. Some wanted to get out of Japan, to travel. Others dreamed of a difficult job that would require a lot of money and education. Many professed to wanting something different out of their life than what they had.

Hirohito's fingers dug into his pants, still unable to take his eyes off of Deku. Every morning when he got up he saw the same thing: hunched shoulders, downcast eyes, an unhappy frowning tugging on his lips. How did Deku shake all of that off to feel so powerful? He raised his hand and saw Ikeda gaping at him from the corner of his vision.

"Yes, you, in the back with the silver hair, what do you want?" Deku asked him.

"I," Hirohito wavered for a moment before pressing on, "I want to be a hero. I want -," the air seemed so thin all of a sudden so he took in a gasping breath, "I want to not feel so useless and unhappy all the time and maybe help others from feeling the same way."

"That's a sentiment I can understand," Deku smiled warmly, "what's your name?"

"Ishiyama Hirohito, I uh can't do much with my quirk and I know I'm not very physically fit or -," Deku held up a hand, cutting him off but it was done gently without any sense of dismissal. He smiled again and this time it wasn't warm, it was strong and solid and made Hirohito sit up straighter in his seat. People were whispering around him but they might as well have been a solar system away for all that he heard them.

"Ishiyama, you can be a hero," Deku said so resolutely that Hirohito couldn't help but believe it. In the span of seconds, his whole world view was flipped and all of his anger and apathy seemed to be replaced by determination. It seemed so silly, so small a thing to take to heart but after a lifetime of ridicule, the acceptance was like a rush. "Stay after a bit, I can recommend some places you can work on improving your body and quirk; maybe get you a work study at my agency. Okay, the tall boy in the back, what about you?"

"Holy shit Ishiyama, Deku _acknowledged _you. Oh man dude I'm staying after with you and seeing if I can get an autograph. Man, you always make fun of me for liking him but now you see why he's so cool," Ikeda gushed but Hirohito's head was a million miles away. He was looking at the future, one that had been shadowed before but now seemed so much brighter. Suddenly the impossible didn't seem too far off.

This was his origin.


End file.
